Megan and the Burnouts
by JustAnotherNumber
Summary: Megan is the dorky girl with glasses and baggy shirts. One day in 7th grade she's singing, falling apart because of her dad that's constantly sleeping with girls in their teens, when Andrew, a boy from her class, invites her to join a band he's forming. Three years later she's loving it-but things get complicated when the school's playboy finds out her secret.
1. Chapter 1: Megan and Andrew

**PLEASE READ:**

**I renamed all the characters. Before any more people complain, Megan=Maka, Connor=Soul, Andrew=Black Star, Stephanie=Tsubaki. Travis and Scarlet are OCs, but some little things about them hint that they resemble Kid and Liz. Other than that, everyone is my own character. I might fit in Patty and Crona, I might not. I hope other than that you enjoy the story.**

* * *

**Okay, so something was bugging me about the beginning of the story and I was just sitting there kind of zoning out and then I realized it sounded just like Rockin' by kerri leilua321. But I wanted to post this so badly because I think I did a really good job with the actual writing!**

**Don't worry it's just two parts later in the story when they bump into each other and then this girl that obsesses over him tries to beat the shit out of the her. But the part I feel really guilty about is that she's in a band! *spoiler alert, I'm sorry* And the way he finds out by wandering in or something. And that it's like in a pub.**

**AHH I'm a terrible person.**

**Please please PLEASE go check out her story and I'll feel less guilty. Review or PM me when you do so that I'll know people are actually doing it.**

**Okay now read my amazing story.**

* * *

The alarm clock went off and I swear it was the most annoying thing in the world and also slightly painful, like a small child tapping your head with a hammer and going "Bonk, bonk, bonk, bonk," to the rhythm of the hammer. When I pressed the 'off' button it was purely to get the child to shut the fuck up and cram the hammer up their nose; I had no intention of getting up.

I moaned into my pillow like a scream but not quite loud enough. Angrily looking at my alarm clock I got up knowing that I woke later than pretty much every girl at my school already. Slipping on a random shirt and plaid shorts that went down to the top of my knee I only had a distinct idea of what I was wearing. I washed my face, put on my square-rim black glasses, pulled through my hair, brushed my teeth and purposely made my hair more thick-looking and crazy than it naturally was—if you're going to put on a disguise, someone finding out defeats the purpose, so it's all or nothing. I didn't care what I looked like to other people, anyways; if they want to spend their time talking about how much of a dork I am then they can go right on ahead, I'm flattered they spend so much of their time talking about me.

As a last step I grabbed a nutri-something bar and rushed out the door before my dad and his new girlfriend could wake up. I don't want to wake up to a half-naked girl in lingerie sitting on the kitchen counter because that _has _happened to me before. The louder they are the sluttier they are and—well, let's just say that because of last night my iPod is out of battery.

Of course, by tonight there will be another girl and hopefully she's not as gross as most of them; I'm taking the first opportunity I have to charge my iPod at the library, though. I usually take the public bus but I left earlier than usual so I was thinking that if I took the short cut I would just make it; I may look like a nerd but I don't give a shit about school or getting there on time. Actually, I would probably just wander around the city and not even attend a school, but that was before I met Andrew.

* * *

We first met three years ago, so in 7th grade. I was wandering…somewhere. I don't think I was really going in one direction, just shuffling my feet. I hadn't gone to school for the past week and was really depressed, like suicidal. My hair was knotted, my clothes were dirty, and I was so tired I might as well have had zombie make-up on. The only thing left for me was music. I didn't have an iPod back then or any source except my voice and a stranger's radio as they blasted music at the stoplight. I was singing "Don't Fall Asleep at the Helm" by Sleeping with Sirens. It was about someone without hope and happiness who finally committed suicide. The lyrics "Fall deeper and deeper, the sirens are singing you songs" meant the ambulance was coming after the parents called or maybe the neighbor heard a gunshot. Either way.

But that's how he found me. I was curled up against a brick wall in-between two buildings with my knees pulled up to my chest. I had just finished when I saw a hand in my face and I looked up with eyes that scared most people to death—they were dull and lifeless, as if I were already dead. I think some kids really did think I was a zombie, and I wouldn't blame them thinking back on it. When I looked up I found him crouched in front of me with his knees bent. Then he said the weirdest thing.

"Hey," he said. "I'm starting a band and want you to be in it. You could be the lead singer." I think I just looked at him like he was explaining to me the concept of other galaxies and how wide the universe was. He shook his head like I was a cute child that had fallen and hurt my elbow. "You shouldn't turn down this offer, seeing how awesome I am." His normal maniac grin came back. "This is a once in a life-time offer, getting to work with the almighty Andrew!" He threw his head back and let out a crazy laugh like he did in class all the time. I almost thought it was kind of funny. Almost.

I just stared. Not talking to someone for a week can really make you slow. "My arm's getting tired," he said impatiently.

I slowly extended my hand into his and he shook it with a look of satisfaction on his face.

And that's when my life got interesting—but not in the tragic sort of way.

* * *

**Hey guys! I hope you checked out kerri leilua321 like I told you.**

**Please don't hate me. I didn't mean to use her plot and I've already written like 30 *cough 31* pages on Microsoft word!**

**Okay now review what you thought; no hate mail or death threats, please. Well, you can, but I don't want you to.**

**Byeee~**

**Please don't kill me.**


	2. Chapter 2: Crushes

**Hey peoplezzz**

**Thanks for reading and I hope you like it enough to like and follow and review and read until the end and then when I stop posting because I'm dead kill yourself because you liked this story so much.**

**Okay, so not the last one that much...**

**NOW READ.**

* * *

"Megan!" he called across the courtyard. I looked up and Andrew was waving widely with a big smile on his face. A big one appeared on my face, too.

"Andrew!" I ran up to him and gave him a big hug. "They just get more skanky!" I complained.

"They've always gotten skankier." I could hear the frown in his voice. I pulled away from the hug sighing and then explained that my iPod lost battery.

"Oh Gosh I feel so bad for you!" I laughed at his completely-honest expression.

"It's fine," I said. "I should have gone to the library that day but I just wandered home without thinking about it." I said it like I was blaming myself, but I was only kidding, and said it like I was, too—it's easy to be silly around Andrew. He didn't take it as a joke though, and I guess if I'd thought about it before talking I'd have known he would.

"You know you can just call and I'll bring you an mp3 or something. I did it before you got the iPod." On my first birthday with Andrew around, when I turned 13, he got me and iPod and buys me all my songs, since I have NO MONEY. Is an allowance that much to ask for? Just one or two dollars a week. It's not that much. Well, I've never really asked because he's always away, in his bedroom (doing who knows what, oh wait, everyone reading this I'm guessing?), or in the kitchen making out with some teenager. And I'm not _that_ brave as to actually _talk to my dad._ Um, no thanks.

I wanted to get off the topic. I saw a perfect distraction over his shoulder. "Hey, Andrew, look! It's Stephanie~!" I sang her name both calling to her and still talking to Andrew when I waved her over. He immediately blushed and I smiled; he's had the biggest crush on her since forever, and she has too, but they both seem oblivious that the other one likes them. It's kind of cute, actually.

"Hi, Megan!" She hugged me tightly but not so it was uncomfortable. "Hi, Andrew." They both looked at the ground blushing with their hands behind their backs. I smiled, it was just so precious! Ugh, I sound like a mom. My smile disappeared and I frowned at myself.

"So," I said, since they obviously weren't going to break the silence. "You guys ready for tonight?" It was only something to say; I knew their answer.

"Hell, yeah!" Andrew shouted with a big smile and his fist in the air. Stephanie laughed her cute laugh and Andrew was caught off guard by the sound. He blushed and started rubbing his arm. I couldn't help it.

"Are you okay?" Stephanie asked sincerely. Andrew just looked at me like I was a strange new bug.

"Yeah," I said when I finally stopped laughing. "It's just," I brushed away a few tears and started laughing again thinking about it. "The situation is just; you two _obviously_ like each other! How could you not see this," I started laughing again and only laughed more when they blushed.

"Now you're both blushing! And you didn't deny it!" I finally stood up completely, still laughing but I tried to stop and covered my mouth. They blushed even _more_; their faces were redder than anyone's I've seen

"Just go out already!"

Stephanie tried to interrupt. "Megan, I don't think he l—"

"I like you!" He said, a little loud. Realizing what he said he got even _darker_ but Stephanie lit up with happiness.

I turned them around and shoved them towards the part of the school you weren't allowed in while it was still morning. "Go make out in a corner," I said with a final shove, pushing them forward several feet. I laughed as they walked away awkwardly.

"You finally told them, huh?" I turned around to find Scarlet trying not to laugh when Andrew and Stephanie took hands; I thought it was cute and smiled but didn't laugh.

"Finally," her brother, Travis said rolling his eyes.

"You have no room to talk. Where's your girlfriend Kendall?" I said, smiling as he blushed just a little bit.

"Having the biggest crush on Connor." He got this frustrated look on his face like he wished she would get over him already. She is pretty sad, though. At one point she spread rumors through the whole school that she was going out with him, but no one believed her, seeing as he's never had an official girlfriend; it wasn't, however, that hard to believe that they'd made out before. He's been seen making out with pretty much every girl he thought was pretty enough. I'm not one of them, thankfully, and would have denied anyways. Like seriously.

She also breaks any girl that hits Connor, touches Connor, talks to Connor, sneezes near Connor, breathes near Connor, and is in the same room as Connor. Okay, maybe not the last three. But sometimes the last one just because she wants to keep up her image of a bitch.

"How do you like that girl?!" I asked forcefully since I've asked him many times before and had never really understood.

"I don't know, I'm a teenager!" I raised my eyebrows at him. "My hormones are going crazy and yours should, too! I thought girls were worse." He mumbled the last part.

I sighed. "Well, everyone here has a crush on Connor, including a few of the guys." I looked over to a group of guys that were all staring at him and blushing. A shiver went down my back at their perverted expressions.

"And one of our own," I said as I glared at Scarlet as she openly stared at him. It scared me that she had the same expression as the guys. "Hey," I said to her. She didn't respond. "Snap out of it!" I waved my hand in her face. Nothing. Travis finally hit her on the back of the head and she looked up in surprise, but only for half a second. Then she punched him and he fell to the ground.

I kneeled to the ground and clasped my hands in front of Travis mockingly. "Thank you for your sacrifice," I said as faced the ground. He hit my shoulder and got up while I laughed and got up with him.

"Stop acting as if _we're_ the weird ones," Scarlet said as if the sentence wasn't over. I looked at Travis before he even spoke.

"Everyone has a crush but you," he said, rubbing his head. They may act like they hate each other, and Scarlet almost kills him sometimes, but they are totally in sync. I've heard about it for twins before, but I think that was for pain. And if Scarlet felt even a little bit of what she did to Travis, she would never hit him again; trust me. I've been on the front row before when it came to making Scarlet mad. It would be comical if it didn't hurt so much.

"At least I'm in my right mind and don't go chasing after total jerks. It might be hormones, but what about Andrew and Stephanie? They're probably making out somewhere right now." I looked at my watch. "I should get them or they'll be there all day. They better have all their clothes on." I heard Scarlet and Travis laugh as I walked away. Andrew's late all the time, but Stephanie would be so upset with herself if she was late. Well, she might think differently kissing the guy she's had a crush on since…actually, I'm not sure because she didn't actually admit it to me until last year. But I know Andrew started liking her since eighth grade just because he's so obvious.

I was walking down the hall when I passed a teacher. I wasn't nervous though because I was his favorite and I have ten times the privileges than everyone else in the class; well, maybe not Stephanie.

Either way he let me by with a smile and I smiled back. I didn't say anything and he didn't ask anything and we kept walking, but I think he likes it when people don't talk to him. He just doesn't like people that much.

I was spacing out and probably would have walked by them if Stephanie hadn't giggled. I heard light moans and some shuffling and knew it was them.

I knocked on the door, startling them. "Andrew, get you shirt back on! I'm coming in!"

He cursed and then said, "How did you know?" Some anger crept into his voice but since when was that new? "Because I know you," I answered. I waited until I heard him slip it on and opened the door to the blushing couple facing away from each other.

"Come on," I said, reaching my hand out to Stephanie. The bell's gonna ring in like two minutes. "Leave your boyfriend for a minute; we need to fix your hair." Blushing still, she took my hand and stood up along with Andrew.

"Bye," he said, and lightly pecked her lips. I could tell that's all it was supposed to be but they seemed to forget I was there and started having a full make-out session again. I coughed and they didn't hear me. I tried pulling them apart but they just pushed me off.

"HEY!" I finally yelled. They realized what they were doing and jumped apart. "Unless you want everyone to see your hickey, we. Need. To. Go!" I tugged Stephanie away and Andrew settled on waving this time.

* * *

**SUP IT'S KRIS AGAIN**

**RACHEL'S MOM CALLED HER TO DO SOMETHING SO SHE'LL PROB BE MAD WHEN SHE FINDS OUT**

**YOU ARE READING THIS SENTENCE**

**THAT'S RIGHT I CAN READ MINDS**

**NOW I COMMAND YOU TO REVIEW AND FOLLOW AND FAVORITE OR I WILL BE YOUR SLENDER MAN**

**You still haven't done it. I can tell.**

**Because you are reading this sentence.**

**~MIND READER~**


	3. Chapter 3: Connor and Kendall

**Okay so this chapter is short but it's an important set-up for the next one. Maybe I'll post again today if I get some reviews and favorites. '3'**

**In case you were wondering when I found out what Kristina did in the last chapter I hit her with a folder that was on my desk even though I was laughing 'cuz it was pretty funny.**

**Now read, minions. And loathe me for my short chapter.**

**Just kidding. Live with it.**

* * *

The usual rush after the last class forced me to push and shove my way through. I would just wait until everyone was done rushing for no apparent reason. I mean seriously, since you had fifteen minutes to get on the buses instead of five there's no reason for the whole school to shove their way through the door! I guess I can't judge them, though. I have no apparent reason to do the same thing as them, but the whole school can't have secret lives like me. One is unlikely enough.

I ran into a person while I was still thinking. I went backwards too, because something was coming at me almost faster than I was moving. Whoever they were they fell down, too.

I apologized and started picking up their books for them. When I stood up though, I saw a boy with hair so blonde it was white and beautiful green eyes looking at me like I was a piece of gum on the bottom of his shoe. "Watch where you're going," he said snatching the books from me. He thinks he knows what he's doing. Fine, I'll play along.

I blushed a little and stuttered "S-sorry, I won't d-do it again" and pushed my glasses up my nose looking at the ground. I saw Andrew out of the corner of my eye laughing. He knew Connor was going to get it.

He smirked at me and started walking away. Right at the moment where he was only supporting on one foot I slipped it out from under him with mine and heard him fall to the ground and drop his books again. He looked at me surprised, almost awed, and it was my turn to smirk and walk away. I had just turned the corner when Andrew threw his arm over my shoulder laughing crazy loud.

"DID YOU SEE THE LOOK ON HIS FACE? THAT WAS PRICELESS!" Some people turned to stare but I ignored them. He laughed some more and instead of telling him to shut the fuck up I laughed along with him. I saw Stephanie walking up and shoved him toward her.

"Go hang out with your girlfriend." His face lit up.

"Really?" he said. I shook my head at him as if he were a baby still learning how to use a fork.

"No, not really. We have to go to Soul Tunes. You know. My job. Your job. Her job." Scarlet and Travis's job too, but they weren't there right then.

"Oh yeah," he said, a look of pure disappointment washed over his face. I couldn't help but laugh and Stephanie giggled a little bit which made him happier. "You guys can kiss, but when you do pretend you're an old married couple in public so you don't end up making out in front of me." I shivered a little bit remembering before. It didn't really bother me but they were so intense it kind of scared me.

"Yeah, sorry about that," Andrew said rubbing the back of his head nervously. They both blushed a little bit.

"Aw," I said putting one arm around each person. They were both a little bit taller than me. "You guys are such a cute couple."

"I agree," Scarlet said. She and Travis were trying not to laugh. I took my hands off of their shoulders. "What's up?" I asked. We started walking toward Soul Tunes as a group.

"Nothing much," she answered, shrugging it off. "I saw what you did to Connor." She looked confused. "I don't know whether to yell at you or pat you on the back." She genuinely looked like she was on the brink of throwing me over a cliff and laughing with me at the same time. It was pretty funny to everyone but me. I moved to the other side of the group when someone grabbed my shoulder and roughly threw me on the ground. The group kept walking a few feet until I got up and said "What the heck! You can't just—" Then I stopped. Because I forgot what I was going to say.

Because it was Kendall.

_Shit._

* * *

**Hope you liked my cliff-hanger! No, you probably hate that i did that to you.**

**I AM EVIL**

**But like I said before I might post again if someone encourages me enough to do it by favoriting/following and then reviewing/PMing me asking me to do it. No one probably will, but I am seriously itching to get to the good part!**

**Blackmail~**

**Just kidding I'm not threatening you unless you're like allergic to suspenseful endings. Plus I'm not Kristina. But if you are allergic to cliff-hangers you shouldn't be on this site. So yeah...**


	4. Chapter 4: When Glasses Shatter

**GAH another short chapter! I'm so stupid! I should've just realized it and put both of these up yesterday but to make it up there is a crazy long chapter with like three songs in it. I would put it up today but it is just SO LONG, like seriously! I mean my chapters are short compared to a lot of authors but this one is 2,868 words! (Okay so it's not that big but I thought a lot about that and wrote for like three hours. So calm down.)**

**Now read and be suspended by my cliff-hanger...again!**

* * *

All I could do was stare. There was no sound behind me, so I knew everyone must've stopped in surprise like me. I bet Travis was feeling conflicted right about now.

"Hi," she said sweetly. She was so pretty and didn't even dress that slutty. Just a tight shirt and some jeans. "You and your friends obviously know why I'm here." I knew, but I didn't want it to seem like she was in complete control.

"Sorry to disappoint, but I can't read minds just yet." It was dripping with sarcastic kindness. I wanted to hit her so badly right then, but she beat me to it.

The sound echoed off the walls behind us. In the front were some trees so no one could see her, but I didn't want any poor person see what I was about to do to this girl.

She _slapped_ me.

My glasses flew off of my head and I heard it crack.

I heard someone—probably everyone, considering his strength—restrain Andrew from hitting her upside the head. I didn't want him to because for one it's not okay for a guy to hit a girl. And two—well; two was that I wanted to be the one to do it.

"You ran into Connor today and then you tripped him! How can you not know why we're here?" She screamed the whole thing into my ears. They were ringing, but not because of the noise.

Still facing to the right I said, "I picked up his books for him and then he told me to watch where I was going. He had it coming." She reached up her hand to slap me again but one of the girls from her pack rushed over and told her that a teacher would be here any minute and to hurry up. She smiled and pulled something from her purse.

"You have all A's. If you spend all day in your room doing work then a few more shouldn't hurt you too much." I turned my head and saw that she wanted me to do her work to bring her grade up in…every subject. Wow.

I just stared I was so mad. She slapped me? Then she tells me to do her work because she's an idiot and can't do it herself? I heard a guy laugh next to the trees but ignored it. I kind of just stood there trying not to snap when she said "I'm waiting." Everyone behind me took a step back simultaneously.

I snatched the papers from her and tore the whole stack in two. You had your fucking chance. I grabbed her by the collar and heard her whimper.

"I tried not to hit you. I really did. But if you slap me and then accuse me and then call me a nerd and then expect me to do the work they give you because you're failing, you are going to be destroyed. If you touch me again, walk by me again, talk about me again, sneeze in my general direction, I. Will. Kill. You. Got it?" I smiled sweetly. She nodded a little too fast and I shoved her backwards. Her phone and some other things fell out of her purse. She was picking it all up when I put my shoe over her phone so she wouldn't see. With that she picked up her papers and walked away with her dogs almost tripping on their heels, they were going so fast.

"Bitches," I muttered under my breath as I picked up the phone. I threw it to Andrew and he caught it with one hand.

"You're evil sometimes, you know?" He smiled flipping it open, but everyone else looked scared of me.

I walked over to Travis and put my hand on his head. "Sorry," I said comfortingly. He looked a little traumatized. Scarlet was looking dreamily at something behind me.

"I think that was awesome," a voice said. I turned around to see Connor holding my glasses that were fractured on one of the lenses. "How could you see without these? They're so thick," he wondered aloud as he inspected them.

"They're reading glasses," I answered as I tried to snatch them. He just put them higher over his head so I couldn't reach them. "Then why do you wear them?"

"They world will never know." I didn't answer and didn't have to because Andrew came behind him while he wasn't looking and took them from him. He handed them to me saying we had to hurry. I looked at them but didn't put them on; no way would I be able to see through it. Besides, I was almost off of school grounds so no one would see me.

He was still standing there. "Bye," I said. Turning around and walking with the others.

"No 'thanks'?" He was kidding, but I turned around anyways, walking backwards.

"For what, picking up my glasses?" I faced the other way and rounded the corner with them. Soul Tunes wasn't that far away, so I don't think we'd be late.

We weren't.

* * *

**Now feel free to kill me for my short chapter. I do feel bad but I'm catching up to the end of what I've already written for both my stories...good thing I'm not going to school today because I'm "sick" (don't tell my mom, but I lied). So I'll try to catch up today.**

**And a shout-out to souleaterfangal123. I am so sorry! But I'm eastern time in U.S. so I might have to get off the computer earlier than you do.**

**I am so ashamed. And I like told everyone if they wanted me to post faster to review AND SHE DID.**

**I promise the next chapter will be worth the wait, though because some things FINALLY HAPPEN. The intro is finally over! Woot woot! Well, it was over in the last chapter, but know you know how much of a clingy girlfriend Kendall is, so that has to count for something, right? No? Okay.**


	5. Chapter 5: My Job, Your Job, Her Job

**SUP.**

**So this chapter has been long-awaited. I hope you like it, but no promises!**

**And I'm sorry if you don't like rock, because that's almost always what they sing. Maybe alternative too, but this chapter is all-rock. SO DEAL WITH IT.**

**I seriously recommed listening to the songs while you read the story. It adds to the effect. And sorry for the all-boys (yeah, it's hard to tell with the first two. He kinda sounds like a girl) singing, but you'll just have to use your brain and think about it. I know, thinking is hard. You might be thinking about trashing your room right now because I'm asking you so meanly to use your imagination.**

**Okay I'll stop.**

**Enjoy~**

* * *

"Megan, your cheek's red!" Angela told me, pointing at my face with her eyes wide with wonder. She was the daughter of the owner of the pub/stage, Soul Tunes.

"It is?" I asked, instinctively reaching up to touch it. It was sore, but it still felt like a cheek.

After a lot of fussing and story-telling and complaints ("Could you please stop making it sound like I'm some wrestler?") we finally went to the back to get ready for the performance. Just brushing through my hair made it seem more wavy than curly. My hair was soft and with the help of Stephanie it looked as though I had just been to a salon. I put in my contacts (not because I need them but because I just feel weird not being able to read at any time) and then I changed and was ready to go. Instead of my green shorts and gray graphic tee I'd worn earlier that day I wore a black skin-tight shirt with a blue design on it and white booty shorts. I also slipped on some neon blue and green DC high-tops. I hadn't bought any part of this outfit, of course. Scarlet had, but she just gave them to me right afterwards. I only wear it preforming though, along with others. I never take any of them home with me.

Now all we had to do was set up the stage since we only play four days a week (Tuesdays-Fridays) and we don't have it full-time. The drums were there, but that was it, and only because it was a pain to set up _every single time._

Andrew played the drums (of course), Scarlet played the keyboard, Stephanie played the guitar, and Travis played bass. Just waiting around is boring for the crowd, and since I know some guitar I play an acoustic song while they set up. There are only a few options and they are James Dean and Audrey Halpern, Rodger Rabbit, Stomach Tied in Knots, and With Ears to See and Eyes to Hear all by Sleeping with Sirens.

I walked up to the microphone and the crowd cheered and hollered with more than a few whistles thrown in. I just waved and when they calmed down I sat down with my acoustic and said "So which one do you feel like today?" At first there was just a mix of song names but eventually the whole crowd was going, in a synchronized voice, "Stomach Tied in Knots!" over and over. I smiled. They all liked this song because there's a part where they get to sing near the end. They realized I was going to start and got quiet with a few murmurs here and there. But they all shut up when I started strumming. (Bold=Megan singing, Italic=crowd singing)

**Oh my stomach's tied in knots**

**I'm afraid of what I'll find**

**If you wanna talk tonight**

**Ooh, ooh**

I put more feeling into it than before, getting more into the song. Every strum seemed to vibrate through my body and I almost forgot about home.

**See, the problem isn't you**

**It's me I know, I can tell**

**I've seen it time after time**

**And I'll push you away**

**Mm, I get so afraid**

**Oh no**

**And I can't live without you now**

**Oh oh**

**I can't even live with myself**

**Oh oh oh**

**And I can't live without you now**

**Oh oh**

**And I don't want nobody else**

**Oh oh oh**

The song was about someone that was used to getting their heart broken and was too afraid to really open up to someone. One day he pushes away and then regrets it, because he realizes that he really loves her and is willing to take the chance.

**I only have myself to blame**

**But do you think we could start again?**

**'Cuz I can't live without you**

There was a slight break for the chords and I looked down at my hands and made sure I got every single one right; since I'm not as good as Stephanie and I mess up sometimes.

**Oh, my stomach's tied in knots**

**I'm afraid of what I'll find**

**If I see you with her tonight**

**Ooh, ooh**

**See the problem isn't you. It's me**

**I know I do this every single time**

**I'll push you away**

**Oh I get so afraid**

**Oh no**

**And I can't live without you now**

**Oh oh**

**I can't even live with myself**

**Oh oh oh**

**I can't live without you now**

**Oh oh**

**And I don't want nobody else**

**Oh oh oh**

**I only have myself to blame**

**But do you think we could start again**

**I only have myself to blame**

**But do you think we could start again**

I got ready for the power notes in the song and took a deep breath; they were my favorite part because I loved that I could actually hit them.

**I only have myself to blame**

**But do you think we could start again**

**I only have myself to blame**

**Let's start again**

**Let's start again**

**I can't live without you**

The crowd got ready to join in. They sing "O-oh, o-oh, o-oh," and use their hands in feet to the rhythm in this pattern; "stomp, clap, stomp-stomp, clap" along with the drum that wasn't there before; Andrew must have decided to join in.

_O-oh, o-oh, o-oh_

_O-oh, o-oh, o-oh_

_O-oh, o-oh, o-oh_

_O-oh, o-oh, o-oh_

**And I can't live without you now **_(O-oh, _

**Oh oh.**_ o-oh, o-oh)_

**I can't even live with myself **_(O-oh,_

**Oh oh oh**_ o-oh, o-oh)_

**I can't live without you now **_(O-oh,_

**Oh oh**_ o-oh, o-oh)_

**And I don't want nobody else**_ (O-oh,_

**Oh oh oh **_o-oh, o-oh)_

**'Cuz I can't live without you now **_(O-oh,_

**Oh oh **_o-oh, o-oh)_

**I can't even live with myself **_(O-oh,_

**Oh oh**_ o-oh, o-oh)_

**And I can't live without you now **_(O-oh,_

**Oh oh**_ o-oh, o-oh)_

**'Cuz I don't want nobody else, nobody else, nobody else **_(O-oh, o-oh, o-oh)_

**I can't live without you**

**Oh oh**

The last chord rang out and I let it echo. Finally the crowd cheered like they had just done every good thing in the world in the same minute. I like having fans, but they need to get that under control.

The crowd was softer now, so I said "Hey guys! It's Megan and the Burnouts! Give it up for the Burnouts!" I said gesturing to the guys behind me. They cheered loud again.

Andrew grabbed the microphone off of the stand and shouted "Now give it up for Megan!" They clapped louder for me than the band, which I felt kind of guilty for. It must be because I'm the singer, but still. "Good night everybody!" The crowd got even louder while I put the guitar on its stand next to Stephanie on the stage. "Alright, you guys know the drill! We'll play you a song and then take a few recommendations! So think of good ones!" Sometimes the audience would come up with a song which we didn't know how to play and then at the next one or two practices we would learn how to play it. And that is why we know so many songs.

We all huddled up and tried to decide on which song to open up with. Scarlet and Travis both immediately said, "Sleeping with Sirens." The one I just sang was slow, but they have some really intense rock songs. We haven't played them in a while and everyone nodded in agreement.

"Which song?" I finally asked.

Travis shrugged and Scarlet thought about it. "I was thinking 'If You Can't Hang', 'Who Are You Now', or 'Fire'." That was a tough decision, but I personally like Fire the best because of all the power notes. Stephanie liked the guitar solo in one of the other's better, but we finally convinced her after saying that the regular activity was more active than the others.

The crowd was getting impatient because they started talking and laughing loudly. We stepped up and Stephanie did a really cool guitar piece and they all listened. Scarlet started off the song with a few soft chords, Stephanie hit a few notes, and Andrew hit the cylinder lightly. I got ready to sing the first notes into the mic—I loved how the song started off with a power note, it's like psyching me up for the rest of it. There were two parts in the song where the singer screams, but I just sing it. It's not that I don't like the screaming in the song, it's just that I don't like to scream in a song.

Then it was like the song itself exploded.

**Yeaaa-aaa-a-aaah!**

**Yeaaa-aaa-a-aaah!**

It got toned down by a lot as I sang the first verse.

**Made up your mind**

**Right before the sound can move softly**

**From your lips**

**You leave behind**

**A choice which once before you thought**

**You could not resist**

I got ready to sing the notes that build up to the powerful chorus and looked in the crowd. There was some new guy with his hood up watching us at the bar even though he wasn't actually drinking anything. Weird.

**You get what you had when you**

**Decide that you**

**Keep burning like fire**

**It's burning you down**

Finally! The power notes were coming up and I was getting really excited. I closed my eyes, took the mic off the stand, widened my stance and faced up with the mic while singing the first power note. Then I moved my arms around some more like widening them and even stomped my foot at the line "'Till it burns you".

**Sometimes**

**They say this should feel something like fire**

**'Till it burns you**

**And you can't**

**No you can't remain the same**

**Stay the same, stay the same, stay the same**

I stopped moving around so much and acted like I did at the beginning of the song, just looking into the crowd and looking a little sad.

**I-I-I-I can't change**

**You're living a lie**

**Everything that was yours just does not exist**

**So don't even try to say**

**Sorry for the things in life that you might've missed!**

**You get what you had when you**

**Decide that you**

**Keep burning like fire**

**It's burning you down**

Singing the verse and the bridge I noticed that the guy with the jacket had ordered a sprite. I don't know why I kept looking at him; he just looked familiar somehow, even though I hadn't seen his face or anything. I got distracted at the chorus and moved around a lot again.

**Sometimes**

**They say this should feel something like fire**

**'Till it burns you**

**And you can't**

**No you can't remain the same**

**Stay the same**

**I'll lower you now**

**They say this should feel something like fire**

**No I can't change**

**Do what you wanna do**

**Keep building it higher**

**Keep burning it down**

Some intense notes came from the guitar and I kept whispering/singing into the mic.

**You lose who you are when you**

**Keep burning like fire**

**I kiss all around**

In the next part there were some noticeably loud noises from the drum and I sang as loud as I could, adding to the effect.

**What do you have to prove?**

**I paid for you!**

**Keep burning like fire**

**It's burning you down**

The notes in the next word "Sometimes" were my favorite part in the song for some reason. I liked it more than the "Sometimes" in the other verses. This one seemed to last forever yet it was too short. I think it's because all the other instruments stop when I sing it and it hangs on just a little bit more than the others.

**Sometimes**

**They say this should feel something like fire**

**'Till it burns you**

**And you can't**

**No you can't remain the same**

**Stay the same**

**I'll lower you now**

**They say this should feel something like fire**

**'Till it burns you**

**And you can't**

**No you can't remain the same**

**Stay the same, stay the same, stay the same**

The crowd went crazy like before but louder. For about the next thirty minutes people recommended songs. They were usually mild rock (not as intense as "Fire") and at one point Angela got us to do "I Knew You Were Trouble" by Taylor Swift which was surprisingly fun to perform. I kept glancing over to that one guy in the back. I had perfect vision but he kept his hood so that you couldn't see his eyes. Finally, in-between one song, he looked up and smirked at me. I saw a tuft of white hair and my eyes grew wide. It just got wider at my reaction and I decided I was not going to lose.

"Hey, you in the back!" I said into the microphone. "What do you want us to sing?" He thought for a second.

"'Na Na Na' by My Chemical Romance." I guffawed. He'd obviously picked the song he didn't think we could pull off. I'd show him.

Everyone behind me started whispering as they realized it was Connor who had recommended the song. I turned around and signaled for Stephanie to start off the song with the guitar. The drums kicked in and then started singing the background _Na, na, na_. They'll do it the entire song pretty much. Finally it was my turn. (Bold=Megan singing, Italic=band singing, Bold+Italic=both)

**Drugs, gimme drugs, gimme drugs**

**I don't need 'em **

**But I'll sell whatcha got **

**Take the cash and I'll keep it**

**Eight legs to the wall**

**_Hit the gas_**** kill 'em all**

**_And we crawl, and we crawl, and we crawl_**

**You be my detonator**

I tried not to laugh at the look on Connor's face; it was pure shock. I cheered on the inside. _How do you like me now? Woo-hoo!_ I was probably enjoying it a little more than I should have.

**Love, gimme love, gimme love**

**I don't need it**

**But I'll take what a want**

**From your heart and I'll keep it**

**In a bag, ****_in a box_**

**Put an 'X' on the floor**

**_Gimme more, gimme more, gimme more_**

**Shut up and sing it with me**

All the way up to "In a bag" I looked at Connor while I sang the rest of the verse. After that I looked into the crowd and moved the heel of my right foot in time to the beat.

**Call mall security**

**To every enemy**

**We're on your property**

**Standing in**

**'V' formation**

**Let's blow an artery**

**Eat plastic surgery**

**Keep your apology**

**Give us more**

**Detonation**

He looked shocked again. I bet he didn't think I'd know that part.

_More, gimme more, gimme more_

**Now let me tell you 'bout the sad man**

**Shut up and let me see your jazz hands**

**Or maybe when you were a mad man**

**Thought you was bat man**

**And hit the party with a gas can**

**Kiss me you animal**

I looked over and he was openly staring at me. He looked a little more controlled now, though, like he wasn't looking at a singing cat.

**You run the company**

**Fuck like a Kennedy**

**I think we'd rather be**

**Burning your**

**Information**

His jaw was literally hanging open and he closed it after seeing the look on my face. This was no doubt the best song tonight.

**Let's blow an artery**

**Eat plastic surgery**

**Keep your apology**

**Give us more**

**Detonation**

I spoke the next part with as much feeling as I could by just talking. I switched between looking at a shocked Connor and a cheering crowd somewhere in the middle.

**And right here, right now**

**All the way in battering city**

**The little children**

**Raise their open, filthy palms**

**Like tiny daggers up to heaven.**

**And all the Juvee halls**

**And the Ritalin Rats**

**Ask angles made from neon and fucking garbage scream out**

**"What will save us?"**

**And the sky opened up**

**Everybody wants to change the world**

**Everybody wants to change the world**

**But no one**

**No one wants to die**

**_Wanna try, wanna try, wanna try,_**

**_Wanna try, wanna try, wanna_**

**I'll be your detonator!**

Stephanie finally got her guitar solo she'd been waiting for the entire song. These are the times when I just watch and goggle at how I can't do that. The music stopped for a second and you only heard the band's _Na, na, na_'s, then the music started up again and I sang.

**Make no apology**

**It's death or victory**

**On my authority**

**Crash and burn**

**Young and loaded**

**Drop like bullet shell**

**Just like a sleeper cell**

**I'd rather go to hell**

**Than be in**

**Purgatory**

**Cut my hair**

**Gag and bore me**

**Pull this pin**

**Let this world explode.**

* * *

I can just tell you loved the ending. I would be so mad if I were you, like "WTF THEY LEFT ME WONDERING WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN!" And give me some feedback on how Connor reacted. I almost want to make him more cool at the beginning but no one's _that_ smooth. Seriously. Plus I'm trying to make him confused about Megan, know what I mean? Like he acts different around her. So there.

And did anyone notice the title thing? In chapter three Megan was like, "Go hang out with your girlfriend," and then Andrew was like, "Really?" and she was like, "No, not really. We have to go to Soul Tunes. You know. My job. Your job. Her job." ...You have no idea what I'm talking about, do you. Well, now you know.

And you should be grateful for all the songs! I was on vacation and there was no internet so I had to listen to these songs on my iPod and DO YOU KNOW HOW HARD IT WAS TO FIND OUT THE WORDS FOR "NA NA NA"? FREAKING HARD. And it took a really long time. I mean it took like three hours to write this but that was only because I kept wanting to re-write the whole thing.

This is like the longest ending ever.

**Review what you think. And follow and favorite. Then win the lottery and give me all your money because you're already rich so I won't have to actually worry about making money off my stories even though they'll be top-sellers around the world so I'll be rich, too.**

What? I thought I was listing things that would never happen.


	6. Chapter 6: iPod Battery

**I bet you guys hated me because of my last ending. OH-kay. But look forward to the next chapter, I had real fun writing it.**

**It has a lot of that fluff that everyone likes. Like between two characters. Fluff.**

**And I just wanted to thank everyone that follow and favorited and reviewed! Well, except this one girl that entered as a guest and put their name as Katie. She was like, "why is this under soul eater...?" and I was like, seriously? I couldn't respond because she wasn't in her acount. And it was for the first chapter. Excuse me, but Maka's dad drank a lot and hung out with girls um... inappropriately. And how can you not tell that Andrew resembles Black*Star? Correct me if I'm wrong. And it was for the first chapter! Read the whole thing, okay?**

**Sorry. Rant mode is off.**

**Enjoy the story!**

* * *

The final lagging notes of the guitar faded away and the crowd cheered louder than ever before. I even saw Connor clapping. I knew I was a little too proud but I didn't care. Our forty-five minutes were up and we bowed to the crowd with our arms over each other's shoulders and they cheered just as loud. We waved goodbye and I blew some kisses over my shoulder for good measure. I changed in record time (even though everyone else was still faster than me) and walked out. With my broken glasses on no one recognized me and while the rest of the band was congratulated I just slipped right through. My hair wasn't messy like before, but the outfit does wonders.

Stepping out someone grabbed my arm with a strong grip. I sighed. "Andrew, I gotta get home before my dad—" I stopped as I realized it was Connor and not Andrew holding my arm. "What do you want?" It came out a little ruder than I'd intended. Just a little, though.

"Um," he said, blushing a little. He looks so cute when he's nervous. Wait, what am I thinking? "I just wanted to say that you did good up there." I let the shock show up on my face. He was complementing me? It's weird enough that he found out I sing but weirder that he actually liked it. I mean _seriously_.

When he saw the expression on my face he said, "No, really." But that was it.

I was on the verge of shocked and angry and happy when finally I settled on the last one. "Really?" I said, jumping a little. "That's so awesome! Andrew and everyone think so too, but it could just be because they're my friends. Hearing it from someone else makes me so happy! And I thought I'd never get you to actually _compliment_ me! I mean you, of all people!" I realized I was holding onto his arm and leaning in a little close and let go stiffly backing away.

I coughed into my fist realizing I'd gone fan-girl on him. "I mean, cool." He laughed and ruffled up my hair.

"Don't worry; you've already proved yourself dorky with those glasses. You don't have to try to cover up." I blushed when he ruffled my hair but forced myself to not look down. _Why am I blushing? I have no reason to be blushing! _

"Megan!" I heard Scarlet bark behind me. I whipped my head around to find she was browsing Kendall's phone. "What should we do? I was thinking admitting she was bi—that way it's awkward for guys and girls."

"What, so now you're against bi's?" I asked laughing a little bit.

"God, no! But Kendal and her friends are." she answered quickly. "You shouldn't judge people for who they love!" She finally looked up and saw Connor standing right there. She immediately went into flirt-mode. Batting her eyelashes, she said "So how do you think I did?" I covered my mouth trying not to laugh. I would, and openly, but then the awkwardness for Connor would disappear. And I wouldn't want that to happen. End of the world and everything. Unfortunately, before he could say anything, Andrew burst through the door laughing. Stephanie just walked through the door like a normal person.

"C'mon! Time to charge your iPod!" He looked over and when he saw Connor all he said was "Hi" and started dragging me away. Stephanie apologized for him to Connor and started following.

"Hey—Andrew—what—let me go!" I struggled as Stephanie caught up but he wouldn't let me go. "You're ruining my DC shoes," I finally complained.

"Then stand up and walk for a change!" He _was_ dragging me, I guess. I stood up and asked him, "Why didn't you say anything to Connor?"

"He'd already complimented you, right?" I could only wonder how he knew. When I didn't deny he took it as a sign to keep going. "So there wasn't really anything else to say. Plus Scarlet was giving me her death glare." Okay, now I don't blame him. If looks could kill…it doesn't matter anyways, because that's her _Do this now or I will hurt you,_ look. I got that right before I just about died from her attacks. I'd never respected Travis as much as I did in that moment when I saw a meteor shower in the middle of the day.

When we got to the library I went straight for the computers but lost the other two in the first five seconds. I tried not to think about what they might be doing.

I just sat there and waited for my iPod to charge and browsed on the computer. I wanted to look at the books but Andrew wasn't there and I was afraid somebody would steal it. The books were right around the corner, not even ten feet away. It had been about five minutes when I broke. I was practically dying without anything to read.

I got really into this book when I heard something click around the computers. I figured it was nothing but when I looked there was a guy in a black jacket without a hood and a beanie walking towards the door putting something into his pocket; my iPod shuffle! [A/N: How unpredictable.] And he took the charger and headphones too, that jerk!

"Hey!" I called out. He didn't turn around and just walked faster.

I covered the thirty or forty feet to the door as fast as I could. "Hey!" I called again when I got outside. He started running. Gosh, it only costs, like, forty dollars. Or maybe he wanted the songs? That's more likely. With almost two hundred songs on there it was around two hundred sixty dollars not including the iPod itself. So three hundred dollars.

How am I just realizing this now?

I shrugged it off and started running after the guy. But what was I doing? It's almost six and it's dark. I'm chasing a guy that's much larger than me to get something small. And I'm not in the best part of town. There's a really good library, too, but it's on the other side of town and you have to take a bus to get there.

I don't care; that iPod is my most treasures possession after a picture of my mom hidden in a secret drawer in my desk. I passed a confused-looking Connor but didn't stop to say hi. I finally caught up (he was a little on the chubby side and wasn't the fastest person in the world) I grabbed onto his shoulder with yet another "Hey!"

He didn't look that mean, just confused and scared. I think he panicked and just shoved me toward the ground. I landed on my butt hard. Don't worry though, the concrete broke the fall.

I heard the sound of running footsteps come closer until Connor was right in front of me. "Are you okay?" He asked, reaching out his hand. I gladly took it as he asked "What was that about?"

"The dude stole my iPod," I said angrily, brushing bits of rock off my butt. "I've had that since 7th grade," I pouted. It was an old design and probably barley cost anything now, but it's not like I can just go and buy another one. Then I realized something that would have made me never leave my iPod in the first place.

"Shit," I said slapping my forehead.

"What?" Connor asked, concerned. I swear, it's like he switched personalities on me.

"Um," I said uncomfortably. I can't believe I was about to say this.

"Can I stay at your house for tonight?" For a second he didn't say anything. I didn't blame him because I was still processing it myself.

"Why?" I sighed. It was a fair question, but I didn't want to answer. So I lied.

"My dad is out of town and I forgot to ask someone if I could stay at their house." He just shrugged.

"Why don't you go to Stephanie's?"

"I wouldn't want to interrupt them." He didn't have a clue what I was talking about but didn't question anything just yet.

"Fine," he sighed. I was surprised he went along with it so quickly. "But I know you're lying." Was it that obvious? "You'll have to explain everything to me." That was something I couldn't do. I turned around quickly and said "See you at school" while waving over my shoulder.

He grabbed my arm (again? Really?) and said "Wait, I want you to come." I raised my eyebrows at him. He blushed and I forgot where I stood on the issue. I realized what I was doing and came back to earth right before he said, "No, not like that." He struggled for the right words to say and finally said, frustrated, "You know what I mean." I thought about it for a minute and he gave up.

"Never mind, I don't know what I was thinking." Putting his hands in the pockets in his sweatshirt, he turned around slowly on his heels. While he was walking away I thought about going back without an iPod. And even on the nights there isn't a girl he would just get drunk silly and one time he even threw a bottle at me. Before I knew what I was doing my hand was on his shoulder and he was looking at me expectantly.

"Do you have a guest bedroom?"

* * *

**LALALALALALALALA**

**I am torturing you with my cliff-hangers. And now you really want to read about some fluff between Connor and Megan.**

**Don't get me wrong, you deserve it! The introduction to the story was pretty long. And even for the people that just discovered the story. I'm glad you decided to become one of us. *laughs evilly***

**So all these stories I'm reading, the authors are all getting busy with random stuff and are all starting to say stuff like "I really enjoy writing but I'll have to start posting every other day" and giving excuses like school. Even one of my favorite authors that has prided herself on posting every day said that! And when I first found her I told her I was really looking forward to reading what she was going to write tomorrow and she was like "Well I've posted everyday so I won't let you down. It's a promise" and stuff. BUT NOW ASDFGHJKLZXCVBNM**

**I really don't want to become one of them, but...with two stories I just don't know. And the chapter after the next one isn't even finished and I'm barley writing on either of my stories. I don't know how long it's been since I added more than half a page for MSWM and I wrote everything I have for Megan and the Burnouts over Thanksgiving break except for like, two pages at the very end. So.**

**Maybe I could release one for each story every other day? Then I would still be writing. But I just...well, there's not a real answer to not being able to write. I should be able to. But I would never get like any down time. You know that thing called school? Well, it's come to haunt me.**

**Ugh, now I'm all depressed. Review what you think. You don't have to, but you should.**

**('_')**


	7. Chapter 7: Down On All Fours

**Okay, so this has a lot of fluff. And in one or two chapters there is SO MUCH FLUFF. Again. I know you'll like it.**

**Okay, I need to tell you something else. I'm going to Universal for me and my sister's birthday with Kristina and my little sister Betsy's friend Brianna. And my mom.**

**But anyways I have to leave in less than an hour so you're lucky that I'm even posting. You know the drill, review, follow, yadda yadda yadda.**

**And I don't have enough time for an ending in bold. I gotta post for my other story too, since the last two chapters I've been torturing them with...horrible chapters. So bye.**

* * *

"Whoa." It was all I could manage to say. Is this where he lives?

This place is fucking _huge_.

I've never been to a mansion before, but I didn't think…just, whoa.

"Yeah. My parents aren't here, but my older brother is. If they found out they would kill me, so just…don't go around telling everyone that."

I blushed and looked away. "Like I would want anyone to know that," I said, pouting a little. He smiled and his self from school came back.

"You know that would throw your dorky image over a cliff."

I scoffed. "Don't flatter yourself until you're in a band and can sing better than me."

He stepped a little closer. "I think that's a challenge."

"I think you don't need to state the obvious," I said as I stepped a little closer as well. Then we were just staring each other down. It was kind of hard to see his face with my glasses like they were but I wasn't deaf and I heard someone just barely contain a laugh. I turned around and so did Connor.

"Really? You've never brought a girl home before and you pick her?" He started to laugh. "Who is this dork? I've heard that you're a player and everyone's chasing you, you could've done better." He looked down and started laughing like crazy with his eyes closed. He didn't notice me start to walk up to him. He opened his eyes right when I brought my fist back.

He stopped laughing.

I was brushing off my hands over a moaning big brother when Connor started laughing.

"Hah! You didn't even see it coming, Ethan! You were too busy calling her a dork!" He started laughing again but I cut him short.

"Oh, you have no room to talk, playboy." Now neither of them was laughing. "And I'm not his girlfriend. I just need a place to sleep." Ethan looked up at me with his hand on his cheek. "You obviously have enough room." Connor, still trying not to laugh, started leading me toward the door.

"Yeah, yeah," he said, cursing a little. "Pick whichever room you want." When I was walking by I heard him mutter "bitch".

"Punch bag," I said without breaking stride. Connor laughed and I tried to not look too pleased with myself. But it was his turn to smirk when I gawked two steps inside the house. If I thought the outside was amazing…

"Enjoy it while you can, girlie," Ethan said as he ruffled my hair. I tripped him just like I did to Connor earlier that day and stepped over him next to Connor who apparently could do nothing but laugh and blush today. Something grabbed my ankle and I turned around, ready to step on him.

"Will you sleep with me?" he asked. His face had a bruise and he was lying on the floor. Was he asking to go to the hospital? All I could do was stand there. Finally I choked something out, but it sounded more like a statement.

"_What._" Connor tried to yank me away. I was thankful of his help and walked away with him.

"The frick?!" I asked when we were up the steps and around the corner. Connor looked almost as shocked as I felt.

"I…don't know." He thought for a second. Then he started dragging me by my hand. "You're going to sleep in my room, okay? I don't want him sneaking into your room; if he ended up in the hospital then my parents would no doubt find out." Oh. At first I thought he was suggesting I was just a girl. Nm.

I remembered something and a smile appeared on my face. "So you've never had another girl over before, huh? I'm honored." He blushed and my grin widened.

"You're the first, but if I tried to do something you'd probably throw me out of my own window."

I tried not to laugh. "I'm glad you know where you stand on the issue." He opened the door to his room and I forgot what we'd been talking about.

Somehow I liked it better than the other rooms in the house. It didn't have anything fancy, just his bed, a dresser, a couch, and bookshelves full to the brim taking a whole wall. He also had a computer.

The walls were black and so was the rug but his bed, the dresser, the couch (sitting on the clack rug) and the bookshelf (not the books) were red. His computer was black and his desk was wood so it stood out which would seem impossible in a room like this.

His bed just looked so fluffy it was all I could do to not leap on it—oh wait, I did. It was a water bed and I laughed when I found out. Then I rushed over to the books and gawked at them. Then I ran over to Connor and grabbed both his shoulders.

"This is the best room ever!" I told him with a big smile on my face. He looked a little shocked. I guess he had reason—he opened the door and suddenly I'm bouncing around his room.

I laughed a little shakily and let go of him. "Sorry," I said, blushing a little. I've never blushed this much since…ever. And I just went fan-girl on him _again_. _What is this madness?!_ I've only felt this comfortable around Andrew ever and now I'm suddenly at the school's playboy's house about to sleep in his room while his parents are away. I should not feel comfortable.

All that went through my head in less than a second.

He laughed said "It's okay" and ruffled my hair again. When he took his hand down it brushed my cheek and I blushed like _cray-zee_. I spun around before he could see though and when he asked me "What's wrong?" it was obvious he hadn't even realized he'd done it.

"N-nothing," I stuttered. Seriously, what was _up_ with me today? It's like when I'm around him all my boundaries just disappear.

"Alright," he started. I heard him sit on the bed and I turned around to face him. "Story time," he said patting the space next to him. I sat a little farther than he'd suggested but I don't think he cared and I didn't want my brain to go all mushy that close to him.

I didn't want to explain. I mean seriously. The only people who know are Andrew and Stephanie. Plus, what normal person would feel comfortable spilling their hearts out to someone they just met? But at the same time I _did _want to, like really badly. It's hard to put into words, but I felt like I could trust him and wanted him to know everything about me, and I wanted to know everything about him.

As you can imagine it was very conflicting.

"Sometime today, maybe?" Oops. I think I'd zoned out.

"I don't think I can." I was fidgeting and looking at my lap.

"You're making this so difficult," he groaned and fell backwards on the bed.

I faced him before saying forcefully, "Why would you care anyways? It's not like it's affected you any way!"

"No," he said, sitting up. "But I took you in and saved you from…well, I don't know because you won't tell me. But apparently it was bad enough that you would lie to me and voluntarily go to a boy's house for the night. Who you just met," he added. I stared at him and it slowly sunk in that he was completely correct.

"Look," he sighed, since I was still on the verge of deciding. "I'm curious about you, basically. I can't explain it, I just want to know. Really badly." So basically he deserved an explanation and he's curious. And as much I wanted to deny it, I was curious about him, too. And like him, I couldn't explain it. It's infuriating, I just don't understand it! But curiosity has gotten me into trouble, and that's what he was asking for.

"You're going to think I'm lying or pathetic or both." I didn't really have a reason not to. OH WAIT, HE'S THE BOY THAT BREAKS ALL THE GIRLS' HEARTS. That obvious thought didn't even cross my mind, though. Then he laughed, a sad, lonely laugh, like he knew everything and nothing at once. It sucked my in somehow.

"Try me."

And I did. I still can't believe I did! I told him everything and GOD did it feel good! I told him about how I knew my dad was cheating on her with his "assistants" and how mom didn't know for two years and then she found out and left. I told him about how he gets drunk and abuses me and has sex with _every single girl_ and that without my iPod it's a whore house all night and I can't sleep. I told him how I was pretty much suicidal when Andrew found me wandering around at night. I told him how music was my life. I told him about me.

I was almost in a trance while I was talking. I had no idea what I was saying yet I knew what I was saying exactly. It was a weird feeling. Then I was done and I realized what I just did and blushed big-time.

"Wait," I said, freaking out a little. I searched for words to say but couldn't think of any. Finally I gave up and said, "I cannot believe I just did that."

He laughed at my expression (eyes wide, scared as frick) and said, "It's fine, I was asking for it." He looked at me seriously. "Do you feel better now?" I let out a sigh of relief and rested my forehead on his shoulder in an exhausted way.

"Yes," I said and laughed. I just stayed there for a second and then sat back up. "So, what's your traumatizing backstory?" I could tell he had one by the sound of his laugh and just looking into his eyes. His eyes…

I realized I was staring at him the moment he realized he was staring at mine. Somehow we'd gotten so close our faces were just inches away. I don't know how long I had been sitting there just losing myself in his endless eyes. We turned away and I don't know if he blushed but I sure as hell did.

"I don't have one," he finally said breaking the silence—well, I'm not sure if it was silent because all I could hear was blood rushing in my ears until I finally calmed down enough.

Trying not to let any emotion crawl into my voice I said, still facing away from him, "I wasn't kidding."

"How would you be able to tell, anyways? My parents are normal."

I realized something and turned to face him, immediately meeting his eyes again. A smile crept onto my face.

"I hadn't said anything about your parents." His face went pale when he realized where he'd messed up.

"Why do you care?"

That's what I said, bitch!

"I just poured my heart out! Like seriously! And that's all I get?!" He looked at me for a second and then sighed.

"I guess that's a fair reason, but…," He rubbed the back of his head nervously.

"It's conflicting, isn't it? You're pouring your heart out to a stranger but at the same time you feel like you know them and you _really_ want to."

"Yes, exactly!" He was about to go on and probably rant but then he saw me with my eyebrows raised at him.

"Oh," he said lamely, realizing he'd done that exactly to me.

"Yeah," I said. "It was fucking confusing and then next thing I know I'd just told you my life-story. I got a little closer but not as close as before. "Start talking."

"Well," he started hesitantly. "My parents…never exactly…accepted me. They always said I should be more like my brother and I should behave and do what they say." He talked slow and unlike me thought through what he said and knew exactly what he was saying; I didn't remember more than half of the conversation.

"Ethan was basically everything they wanted; he was smart, did everything they said, never disobeyed. He only got girlfriends that were high up and had a lot of power, or dads who did." At the last sentence he glanced at me but only for a second. Then he went back to looking at his lap. "When I was born I wasn't really wanted in the first place. To even be noticed I had to do great things. At first I tried getting their attention by getting hundreds in everything and winning lots of awards for school and music." He seemed to pay less attention to what he was saying and talked faster. I listened to every word. "But I might as well have never been born. So I started rebelling and failing school and making out with girls—I'm sure you've heard about that. Having them hate me was almost worse than being ignored." I didn't miss the "almost".

Before I knew what I was doing I was hugging him.

"I'm so sorry!" I was trying not cry.

"For what?!" He sounded surprised, but I didn't care.

"You've had it worse! I can't believe you've gone this long without telling anyone!" I hugged him tighter and heard him groan under the pressure.

"It's a little tight," he said softly. I let go and he gratefully took in a breath of air. I heard him mutter something about a death grip.

"Oops," I said, blushing for what felt like the hundredth time that night. "I just…I don't know," I didn't finish my sentence and got up but felt him grab my hand.

"Wait—"

_Crash._

We both fell toward the floor. When I opened my eyes Connor was leaning over me on all fours; like an arm and leg on each side of me. We were facing each other and I realized how intimate we looked, then my mind when blank. I don't know exactly what I was thinking but it was something like this;

WHAT IS THIS SITUATION. WHY ARE WE BOTH PANTING. WHY AM I JUST STARING AT HIM. WHY AM I NOT PUSHING HIM OFF OF ME. WHY DO I WANT HIM TO KISS ME. ERMERGERD. AF#BK %^FJ89IORW&*MK.

Before I understood what was going on I was propped up on my elbows about to kiss him and he was leaning down about to kiss me AND I REALIZED WHAT I WAS DOING.

I gave out a yelp and we got on opposite sides of the room in record time.

WHAT. JUST. HAPPENED.

I couldn't think, I couldn't move, I couldn't see, I couldn't hear, I couldn't do anything but sit there as one thought went through my head; _I'd started it._


	8. Chapter 8: Antigany

**Hello~**

**OHMYGOSH I just wanted to thank all the people that reviewed. Ever. Like seriously you guys are so nice! And someone went as far as to compliment my writing! They were a guest, so. I couldn't like PM them. BUT I'M STILL THANKING YOU. So there. But I was like, *system overload*, I was so happy. Like seriously. So now I'm like, "Challenge accepted" *explosion in background because I'm awesome*. But seriously.**

**And I um *cough* misunderstood what the girl Katie (guest name) said earlier about like asking why it was under Soul Eater (I thought they meant the anime, not the pairing Soul x Maka). So yeah, that rant was a waste. And I realized it like four days ago but I forgot to mention it at first and then I ran out of time in the last chapter because I hadn't even started packing yet. So I had to get ready. Plus if my mom had walked in and I wasn't packing she would've flipped.**

**But anyways. And then someone commented asking why it's under Soul x Maka with the name "Guest". Original.**

**IDK about you, but I kind of have a hunch that it's Katie. Or I just suck at introductions. Or these people DON'T READ THE FREAKING SUMMARY. Like really? Um they commented under chapter four which is where Connor's introduced so they should have been able to figure it out. And in the summary it says "but things get complicated when the school's playboy finds out her secret" or something like that. That was off the top of my head.**

**But use your imagination. It's not that hard to find out that Soul is either Andrew or the playboy just by reading the summary. And it's not Andrew. And after the last chapter (wow, this is long) I would be surprised if you could tell me one valid reason about why Connor and Megan aren't the star couple here (okay, so I made it a rule that I can't go out and admit like clearly that they're going to end up together but I mean really. You should have figured that out by now). YOU GIVE ME ONE REASON RIGHT NOW. You can't.**

**So if you haven't figured it out I rant. A lot. But when I figured out what they meant it gave me more reasons about why I'm right. (I mean I don't believe in drama online, it just doesn't work, but sometimes people are just wrong.)**

**Sorry. You're an amazing person if you're reading this sentence And if you somehow skipped it and landed on this paragraph ****_GO BACK AND READ MY RANT, BITCH_****_._**** But anyways. This chapter sets the setting for the next chapter. So look forward to it and be envious of my ability to rant without audio.**

* * *

_I'd started it._

I could remember it more clearly now; I had only been propped up on one elbow and—oh my god—one hand had a fist-full of his shirt _bringing him towards me._

…

That was me screaming so loudly that you were momentarily deaf.

Okay, not really; I don't think I could have made any noise at all, let alone scream. Now that I knew what had happened another thought ran through my mind, but unfortunately it wasn't an answer.

_Why?_

Was I his girlfriend? No. Did I have any reason to be? No. Was I here for any other reason than to get away from my dad? …Not at first. Did I have any reason to kiss him? No. Did I want to?

Fucking YES.

I don't know what I was thinking but when I opened my eyes and he was looking into mine and he was on top of me my brain died or something.

Okay, now why had I wanted to? It might have been subconscious but it was no doubt real. _It must just be because I feel close to him, _I thought. _I mean I'm a fifteen year-old girl that just poured out my heart and then he did the same to me except I was the first. Plus his parents aren't home. And I'm in his room._ Yeah, it was defiantly just my teenage-girl breaking out on me. Lame. Whatever the cause, I'd obviously overstayed my visit.

"I sh-should p-probably leave now," I finally forced out. But I couldn't gather the courage to get up, so I just sat there hugging my knees against my chest. It was silent again for a long time.

"Connor?" I asked, turning around. He wasn't there.

_The hell did he go?_ I thought. I got up but couldn't find him anywhere. I wanted to look for him but his brother might be out there and I'm not risking that chance. Besides he's in his own home so he should be fine…right?

I shook my head. Why was I worrying so much? Why do I even care? I thought I knew the answer but I didn't like it, so I pushed it aside.

For the next ten minutes I occupied myself by basically invading his privacy. I tried to go on his computer but it required a password so that didn't work. I found his iPod Nano and he had some awesome songs on there with almost as much Sleeping With Sirens on there as me and even some No Doubt which I made a mental note to make Andrew buy for me when I got another iPod Shuffle. I got a little sad remembering it was gone.

I was walking by the closet when something shiny caught my eye. I did a double take and there was a small metal box about 5 inches tall, 5 inches wide and 11 inches long. It was carefully hidden under a stack of clothes, but the light glinted on it just the right angle for it to catch my eye walking by. I took out the earphones that had been blasting in my ear so that I would be able to hear someone coming. I was just so curious, plus I didn't have a conscious that loud when it came to hitting people or curiosity.

I carefully scanned the room before going inside. The clothes weren't even dirty, they were just thrown on there. And they looked too small for him, anyways. Picking it up delicately like a flower that might have its petals fall at any moment I carried it to the bed and sat with my back to the door. Now that I could see the whole thing, I came to realize how elegant and well-preserved it was. It was obviously antique and it looked well-polished yet it had this fogginess to it like it was so old some of the grime had seeped into the silver itself. Like a wave it swelled up in the middle and then back down on both of the sides. The corners had spiral designs painted gold and shinier than the silver.

I could have gawked some more, but I didn't know how much time I had left so I opened it. I expected it to squeak a little, but it opened with no sound any human could hear. There was a music box, but I would have to wind it up for it to make any noise. Then I kind of sat there.

Nothing was there.

What? Then what is this for? Is there a button, a secret drawer? I don't get it.

I looked it over carefully (for about ten seconds) and couldn't find anything on the outside except for a number, 2049 scrawled on with sharpie and a space for the batteries. Not thinking it would actually work, I knocked on the bottom of the inside of the box. It was hollow!

I was excited for about ten seconds. It was thin, so the only thing you'd be able to fit in there is paper. I looked at the bottom of the box again but the number didn't ring a bell. Then I realized something.

Why would a wind-up music box need batteries?

Unfortunately right as I realized that someone knocked on the door and I couldn't pry any farther. Panicking, I put the box under the bed right as Connor walked in. Of course then I remember that I almost kissed him in his room while his parents were away.

WHY AM I BLUSHING SO MUCH TODAY?!

Thankfully he was, too, and saved some of my pride. But he was only a little pink. Then he looked up and saw his room and I really looked at it with him.

Well, I guess I can't hide that I'd been snooping, because his room was a mess. I just can't do anything right today. I put my face on my hands while my elbows pressed against my lap. Oops.

* * *

After a long, awkward thirty minutes of cleaning we made eye contact zero times and talked just as much. We had both started cleaning at the same time wanting to avoid communication as much as possible. I was cleaning slower than him because my mind kept going back to the box. Since we're both looking at the ground he might see it in-between his bed and the wall and then…I have no idea. But I don't think it would be good. For some reason I knew he was hiding it, other than hiding it under a pile of not-dirty clothes and it having a secret place that you couldn't get to. It was just a feeling, but it was a bone-deep feeling. Like when you know someone's watching you and you're alone and it's dark. So you just accept the fact that you're going to die.

Okay, so bad example. But I could just tell.

Finally we were done but the awkwardness was still there. Now that we had nothing to do it was getting thicker and thicker and I could feel it pulling me down like gravity. Isn't he the cool guy at school? Say something!

"So, um," he started, still not looking at me. "It's still only seven. Do you want to watch a movie or something?" I could tell he had to try really hard to say that.

"Ooh," I sang as my eyes lit up, completely forgetting about what had happened. "I saw you have that movie…what was it called? Something about a mental person who goes to this school and this rabbit tells him to like, flood the school. Or something." It sounded scarier on the back, okay?

"Oh, that one," he said. We made eye contact and since I was still thinking really hard about what it was called I didn't give much notice to it. "It's called Donnie Darco."

"Oh, yeah," I said out loud like an idiot. I might as well have snapped my fingers, I was so satisfied. He laughed at my expression.

"Don't laugh!" I said, making him laugh harder. "Whenever I zone out I do stupid things. And it bugs me so much when I can't remember something."

"Whatever, Antigany." The color drained from my face. He laughed some more.

"How did you find out my middle name?!" I practically screamed. I'm going to find out his middle name one day and I swear it's going to be Marian or something.

"It's not that hard," he said, trying not to laugh again. "Everyone at school calls you that behind your back."

Okay, that kind of hurt. Did everyone really think of me that way, just the dork? I mean I don't care if they think it, but if they talk about me enough to give me a nickname. Plus, that means Connor talks about me behind my back. That hurt a lot more than I thought it would. But I didn't let any of that show on my face.

I scoffed. "I don't care what people think about me. Obviously I'm cooler than they think." I mean seriously, I'm in a band.

He stopped laughing and something must've faltered on my face. He turned around to put the movie in so we could watch it on his computer so I couldn't search his expression for clues. The couch was so comfortable, I could just sink into it and sleep forever, but I was more interested that Connor was sitting on the opposite side. I had tried not to think about what we—what I—almost did with Connor like, two seconds ago. Well, it felt like "it" happened a really short time ago, but at the same time it felt like it had been an eternity since it had almost—"almost", that's a key word—happened.

The movie started and I tried to focus on the life of a teenage boy that may or may not have been mental. Probably the first.

* * *

**So. Have you been to Universal? My feet feel like they might fall off. I think they might. At least if I have to get amputated I won't have to go to school. UGH I hate Sunday nights SO MUCH. IT CRUSHES MY HOPES AND DREAMS ****_EVERY SINGLE TIME._**** It sucks.**

**So yeah. You should review now or I just might not post and you'll be left not knowing what happens the rest of your life. And no more stupid reviews that I ranted about at the intro. OH-kay. You should favorite and follow, too. I don't know why, but for this story it has 1 fave and 4 follows and on the other it's 4 faves and 2 follows. Is that normal, or do people just go along with the peer pressure of what's already there? Well don't. It's what the government wants. STAND STRONG.**

**And review, and follow, and favorite.**


	9. Chapter 9: Grayish-Green Hurricane

**Okay, so this chapter isn't especially long but it's more than 1,000 words without the bold intro and ending. So enjoy.**

* * *

Everything was black. The movie must've ended. Wait, no, I cans still hear it. But are birds supposed to be chirping in this movie? It didn't seem like the type.

Something shifted beneath me. I groaned and rolled over. Wait, I was lying down? What?

I opened my eyes and was surprised by the sudden light. It was morning? Everything started to piece together and I realized I must've fallen asleep during the movie. I looked for my glasses, but they had fallen off my face sometime during the night. I was about to get up when something shifted underneath me again and I stiffened. I was facing the inside of the couch so that all the heat was trapped underneath the blanket I was under. It was really warm, a lot warmer than it should be this time of year under only one blanket, even if I was in the millionaire's mansion. Then the thing under me muttered—_muttered._

It took me a second (I was never really a morning person), but I figured it out with enough thought. Oh, you need me to spell it out for you?

_I was lying on top of Connor._

Yep. I was truthfully sleeping on him. I was snuggled up with my head on his chest all bunched up for warmth. He, on the other hand, felt a little hot. It might've been a little uncomfortable for him, but that must have been why I had been able to sleep. Alone, even when I have multiple blankets on me, I'll wake up cold in the middle of the night.

_Damn,_ I thought, still half asleep. _He is a heating machine. I should take him home with me and he can sleep with me every night. _In the state I was, I had no idea how messed up that sounded, even though it was an innocent and pure thought. I just wanted to sleep again, even though the time I'd fallen asleep had probably been somewhere around eight or nine last night. So I should be rested. But he was so comfortable…

Wait, what about school?

My eyes shot open and without thinking I started lightly shaking Connor's shoulders and calling his name.

"Connor." He didn't do anything, just grunted a little bit. "Connor!" I said a little louder. He opened one eye groggily and woke up for a second. Then he looked at me. Then he looked at me and my position and it was then I realized I was sitting on him. No real expression crossed his face though, and it was like a girl the same age as him in tenth grade wasn't sitting on him after sleeping with him in his room in the same couch as him while his parents were gone for the night and who-knows-how-much-longer. It was like that was all casual. I almost got mad and thought it was, but then remembered I was the first girl to come to his house.

Blushing furiously I got up and mumbled that we have to go to school. I had caught sight of the time earlier, 7:30, so I knew we had two hours and fifteen minutes before school started. This was the earliest I'd gotten up in since forever but I was already energized.

Before I could make my escape though, Connor grabbed my wrist. I was getting used to it and could tell just by the temperature and grip by now. Plus he was the only other one in the room. I looked at his hand and tried to escape but he started pulling me backwards onto the couch again. "Megan," he said softly. It sent soft tingles up my spine.

"Connor, what—" I wasn't exactly forced to stop. I was just surprised.

Suddenly I was looking into his eyes again. They were the most beautiful gray-green. Some people might say it reminded them of the sea, but it was more of a storm for me. He was so close, maybe four inches away from me. I couldn't think again and I almost melted into the couch for a second time, but not because it was comfortable.

I could have stopped and looked into his eyes forever, but he was still pulling me. His expression hadn't changed from before and I felt like blushing but I was so entranced I just couldn't do anything. If he hadn't been going backwards with me we would've kissed long ago. Okay, that made me blush. Thinking about it.

Aaand I was back on the couch, but this time I wasn't lying on him; I was next to him. We were both on our shoulders facing each other and we were just as close as before. He was so close I didn't notice him leaning in until my brain turned to mush again.

This time I have no idea what I was thinking, but I know it was more emotions than actual thoughts. They were a mess, too. But I know the feelings were closer to happiness. Then there was the pure shock of it all.

It barley lasted more than a second; he just brushed his lips against mine and that's all it took for the overload. My breath stuttered to an almost-complete stop and my heart sped up from walking on a sidewalk to faster than a racecar just like that. I almost leaned into him, and I probably would have if he hadn't gone limp. I realized my eyes were closed and opened them to find him asleep, breathing deeply.

A semi-truck of disappointment crashed into me. I had no idea why. Did I think he actually knew he was kissing me? _No,_ I realized. _It was an accident. He was asleep. _What just happened is a miracle in itself. But my lips still tingled with electricity as though their personal heart had stopped beating and had been revived with a defibrillator. I smiled to myself and then blushed furiously.

We just kissed.

I mean sure he was asleep but still! He kissed me and he looked so serious and he even said my name, so he didn't think I was some random girl! I wanted to stay longer but his eyes were about level with my collar bone and that would be an awkward situation to wake up in. So I started to get up and do my best not to disturb him.

I gently lifted his hand and arm off that had wrapped around my wrist to my lower back. I almost regretted pulling it off, and tried not to think too deeply why that might be. I was just about to get up when he grabbed my waist again pulling me closer mumbling something, and this time my eyes were level with his collar bone. I snuggled in closer and rested my head against his chest. It was just…so tempting…

And then everything was dark again, but I felt like I was smiling.

* * *

**I TOLD YOU THERE WOULD BE FLUFF. Even if Connor doesn't know it.**

**The intro was short! Gosh. But I have to work on this giant paper due tomorrow that I've written part or a paragraph on. That's it.**

**I hate feeling stressed! In my opinion it's the worst feeling, then insecure. For some it might be sadness but since that's not a big problem for me it's like fourth or something. I've only gotten to two. Wait, the third would be disappointment. It's just like, UGH! Get it straight and keep your promise or whatever you were going to do instead of letting them down. Seriously.**

**Okay now I'm going to try to finish the paper really fast. It probably won't work.**

**While I'm working on it you should review and favorite and follow if you liked it. Or hated it. But that would probably exclude the last two. Little bit.**

**OKAY NOW GO.**


	10. Chapter 10: I Want You To Know Something

**H...hey...**

**Sorry for taking so long to write this, but I just couldn't make up my mind on what was going to happen! Then I did and then I would write it and then I would read it over and be like "what is this." and start all over. Because the writing would suck. And I'm still not that happy about my description of the hallway. But I think this chapter is a treat! **

**Kris: SO SHUT UP AND EAT YOUR FOOD, DAMMIT.**

**Isn't she just a joy?**

* * *

Something moved and I snuggled in closer. I think something had adjusted the blanket, because it's really cold right now. I shivered a little bit and reached for the blanket without opening my eyes. When I found it I pulled it up over my shoulders and heard someone groan out of frustration. Then whoever they were chuckled and started stroking my hair. It felt so good I ended up letting out a moan and getting even closer to…whatever it was. I knew I was dreaming, because my dad was never this friendly. Or comfy. Not that I would know.

After slowly finding out it was a person I wrapped my arms around them and found out it was a guy from all the muscles. Pressing myself against him I breathed in his scent—clean, like he took showers regularly and some kind of fruit. Either cherries or grapes, I couldn't decide. In real life someone would have pushed me away, but since it was a dream they just embraced me and wrapped their arms around me as well. Somehow the scent was familiar, and the arms. How would I know that?

I realized who it was, but I was half-asleep so I couldn't jump up from the couch and blush. Besides, the moment was too perfect. So instead I asked a question.

"Hey Connor," I said sleepily. He stiffened a little bit like he thought I was going to hit him but I guess he realized that I was doing the same thing to him, so he relaxed. I didn't sound awake anyways, and didn't really feel like it either.

"Yeah?" he whispered into my ear. Even in a dream it made my hair stand on end and sent shivers down my spine.

"Can you do that hair thing again?" He chuckled again and I think I melted on the spot.

"Sure."

I swear that couch can make you sleep no matter how rested you are.

* * *

The light wasn't as bright as before, but I wasn't as tired. I opened my eyes and found out why it was so dark; it was past ten thirty and the sun was above us now. I rolled over not expecting to hit anything but when I didn't I realized something was missing. Then I found out there was no Connor.

Strangely disappointed I stretched my back but there wasn't any pop since you couldn't sleep wrong on this thing. I think I haven't felt this rested since…ever. Since I actually knew what was going on I sat up and found the clothes we had snagged before coming over. My clothes felt like…well, they felt like I'd slept in them. As I was changing I decided the first time I woke up was real, but not the second. I know what I saw, and I was reacting much too strongly for me to be asleep. Plus he would have known what he was doing if it was a dream, and (as much as I didn't understand it) I would have kissed him back.

The second time though, that was just too surreal. And I had been so happy, I just don't think that could ever happen in real life. But just thinking about the dream, it made me blush big-time! I was lucky Connor wasn't in the room right now or I would be screwed.

Where did he go, anyways? His house and all that, but what if he went to school? What would I do all day? I guess I could go back home, but I didn't want to. Dad probably hadn't even noticed I'd been gone, and he couldn't care less whether I was breathing or not. Maybe I could just…you know…stay?

I shook my head. I can't afford to think like that! I'll just go to Andrew or Stephanie's house; it's not like they'd turn me away! But…I just don't want to. I want to stay, like really badly. But I have to leave soon anyways, one because I technically just slept with the school's playboy in his room and two his parents could be back soon, maybe they already are.

I slipped my shirt on and didn't even bother trying to wait on him. Last time it took forever. So I stepped out to find the endlessly long and empty hallway in front of me going both ways. The door closed behind me and I heard it lock behind me. Shaking the doorknob one last time, I sighed and realized I hadn't really thought this through. And I even locked myself out. Nice.

Why am I here? What if he _did_ go to school? Where would I go? Just looking around all day would be asking for his little sister he forgot to mention about find me. I stepped on the carpet with spiral designs on it. The red on the edges of it stood out and even thought it was bright, everything seemed so dull. I think it was because it was so big, it was lonely. Plus after being in a room like Connor's so long, everything will be disappointing for a while.

Finally I heard voices. I was about to turn around when I heard them, but they were muffled. Not like someone was talking, like someone was yelling, but from far away. It sounded like a man's voice, and scary. I wouldn't want to be yelled at by him. I opened the door and—what do you know, another hallway. There were no windows or anything, but it wasn't as long and I saw the wide set of stairs Connor and I had come up before. I knew I was near the entrance. And the yelling? That had stopped. There was no noise for a while and then the sound of a slap filled the air so loudly I jumped about four feet in the air. Just kidding, they would've heard my landing. But that's what it felt like. Then the yelling started again louder than the slap and I had to cover my ears. I still heard him perfectly.

"And that's an excuse to bring her home?! Because her parents were away?! So were yours!" I froze on the spot.

What.

I poked my head around the corner just because I was asking to feel guilty about asking him to take me here. What I saw wasn't as worse as I would've imagined if I'd stopped long enough to think, but I still hated it. He was just standing there with his hands behind his back which was almost worse than him lying on the ground in pain. A woman with his hair color stood with her back to me and her arms crossed at Connor. I couldn't see her face, but I could only assume she was his mother. She was beautiful, even from the back. She had a white silk dress on that stopped mid-thigh and was tight on the stomach—and she pulled it off. Like seriously. That never happens. The man was standing more to the right so that I could see his face flushed red with anger and a vein even popping out of his neck. He was scary tall, almost seven feet. One of his hands was clenched in a tight fist while the other had a hold on Connor's collar. What explained the whole thing was Ethan watching from the sidelines with a pleased look on his face. I couldn't tear my eyes away from Connor, though. He was completely silent even as the red mark in the shape of a hand filled and flushed his now-swollen cheek.

"All you do is stand there! You should be on your knees begging right now to let you go!" He shook his collar and I tried to hold in tears but some silent ones still slipped down my cheeks. "I've had enough of this! You used to be a good, quiet son and I could live my life like you were never born! But two years ago you decided you didn't care what others thought and started acting like a complete waste!" He had to pause to catch his breath. "You dropped your grades so much that we had to buy your way into the next two years! Then I hear rumors that you're doing inappropriate things with girls at your school! And now I hear that you've been taking them home? You're worthless, a disgrace to this family! You've ruined my reputation and now I don't care how sad you are! Being in this family is a blessing, and if you're going to throw it away then you're about to find out just how much I've been holding in!"

He lifted Connor up and threw him backwards about five feet. Before he started walking up to him I think I heard his wife whisper him words of encouragement, because he smiled and promised he wouldn't, not this time. I didn't like the sound of that, and when she smiled it didn't reassure me. Finally he started walking up to Connor. He raised hit clenched fist and—

The force flew him to the side. He still didn't make any noise, and it scared the shit out of me. I wanted to run to him, but I would probably just make things worse for him when he came back. But why would he come back, anyways? He should just leave this place. Just up and leave.

With that thought in mind I realized I was halfway down the steps. Ethan and the mom had turned around in surprise but the dad was too interested in abusing his son to notice. He got maybe two more solid hits when I grabbed his hand.

"Stop it!" I screamed, desperately trying to pull his hand back enough for him to not make contact with Connor's face. It was surprisingly hard and I had to dig my heels in the carpet. "Stop hurting him! He doesn't deserve it!" He looked at me for a second before throwing me to the side. As my glasses flew to the side and shattered for real, like in little pieces on the ground, I knew they were finally gone. My butt hurt, but if he thought that was going to stop me then he had no idea. I started beating on his back in a desperate attempt to get his attention. I think it felt like someone was giving him a back massage, but I couldn't just stand there.

"He's not worthless! Maybe if you'd be a good father and get your priorities straight he would actually _want _to please you!" He kept hitting Connor. "Listen to me!" Finally I stopped, breathing hard, and remembered what one of my teachers had told me. He was kind of weird and had a weird take on life but I remember he told me that if someone bigger than you had you cornered in a dark alley to kick the inside of their knee. I'd never had the chance to try it before, but who cares in this kind of situation?

I took a deep breath and kicked harder than I'd ever kicked in my life.

He cursed loudly as his left knee collapsed. I ran over to Connor and touched his cheek lightly. "Are you okay?" I asked. He looked like crap, and his eyes were lifeless. He looked into mine and something in them sparked, like he was getting a grasp on what was happening. Before I could look away something grabbed me from behind and I yelped out of surprise. He turned me around roughly and held me by the shoulders.

"You little bitch," he said softly. "You have no right to intrude in our family!" He was shouting again and some of his spit got on my face. Even in the situation I thought it was gross.

"I do if you're abusing your son! How can you call this a family?" I learned that shouting back didn't help his anger problem.

"You're the one that slept with my son, you little whore!" I just stared at him with hatred in my eyes. Fitting me in with my father…that was just sick.

"You have no idea what a whore is." Then I kneed him in the place a man should never be kneed—well, except in situations like these. He dropped me with his face squinted in pain and a strangled sound escaping his lips. I fell down again but this time scrambled desperately to where Connor was lying and pulled him up. I think he was just sitting there in shock the whole time. We ran toward the door and bolted outside before anyone could chase after us.

After running ten minutes straight a rounded a corner and gasped for breath. Connor did the same, but holding onto his swollen cheek. The other was just bruised. After two or three minutes of sitting down I'd caught my breath enough to punch him in the shoulder, call him a jerk, and then squeeze him to death.

"Hold on," he said, forcing out some words. He finally pushed me away and looked at me. Then his face was shocked and his thumb swiped off some of my tears. "Why are you crying?" His touch and nature were still gentle, even after all of that.

"You made me worry so much, you bastard! Why didn't you just run?!" I was practically screaming at him, but I couldn't help it. That was the most scared I'd ever been, just watching him get beat up like that. My eyes trailed over his abused face and his hand over his lower-left rib cage. I grabbed his hand and he hesitated at first, but then decided to surrender. I picked up his shirt and there was a giant bruise the size of baseball. It looked as if it was spreading, if that was possible. I just stared at it for a while until Connor pushed my hand away and held the side of my face with his hand. I leaned into its warmth, realizing how much I'd missed his touch. I cared about him so much and I couldn't stand to see him sit there helplessly. And when he was just standing there before his eyes weren't the beautiful, teasing ones I'd come to know. They were lost, lifeless, without hope and purpose. I never wanted to see him like that again.

"Stop crying," he said, a little frustrated now. I hadn't even realized I'd been doing it again until he pushed them away a second time. I didn't care if he saw me cry. I just wanted to stop all of his suffering for him. He didn't deserve this. It seemed impossible just how much we'd grown together during such a short period of time. I wanted to get close to him, but I was afraid it would hurt if we touched. And after squeezing him like that it had probably caused him a lot of pain on that giant bruise he has going on.

"I want you to know something," I said, suddenly urgent. I don't know why, he just had to know. "Right now." He looked confused and a little nervous but he didn't say anything.

"You're not worthless. And you don't deserve to suffer. And if you feel lonely, you always have me. I'll be there for you, but I might need you to be there for me." He stared into my eyes before some of the color returned and they even watered a little on the bottom.

"I've wanted to hear something like that for a long time," he said as he wrapped his arms around me. I did the same but didn't hug him as tightly as before. Sitting there with him, I realized I'd never had so much to lose, and how close I was to losing it a moment ago. I wanted to get him safe as soon as possible, but my eyes watered a little too and I didn't want the moment to end.

"Come on," I said, finally standing up and sniffling a little. "We should at least get to Andrew's. You look like shit."

* * *

**REVIEW RIGHT NOW. IF YOU'RE READING THIS SENTENCE REVIEW. RIGHT NOW. YOU BITCH.**

**OKAY NOW FAVORITE AND FOLLOW, BECAUSE STORIES ON HERE DON'T GET MUCH BETTER. AND IF YOU DON'T YOU ARE AN UNGRATEFUL BASTARD JUST LIKE CONNOR.**

**Me: Kris, that's not even funny. Don't joke about Connor, he's adorable!**

**YOU JUST WISH YOU HAD A BOYFRIEND LIKE HIM.**

**Me: What girl doesn't?!**

**LOLOL THERE ARE PROBABLY SOME GUYS TOO**

**Me: I thought you supported gay rights like me!**

**I do, but...ahem...**

**Me: That's what I thought.**


	11. Chapter 11: Bliss and Ignorance

**So I have some explaining to do, and please don't hate me for not updating! My mom got mad one night when she caught me on my computer when I was supposed to be asleep. Granted I wasn't writing but my mom said that I spent too much time on it and then just took it away. For a week. And she's gonna keep it for another one! I'm only able to update this because I'm having a sleepover at Kristina's but I don't know whether I'll be able to update tomorrow or not because so far Kris has just been watching Adventure Time while I typed this up for three hours.**

**Do you here that? Yeah, you did. I'm taking time out of my sleepover for you.**

**Even I notice I sound different. Sorry, I'm really tired. I want to sleep ****_sooo badly_**** because I was up really late last night. I don't want to explain why because you'll think I'm a dork. I mean this is a fanfiction, so we're all dorks, but. Yeah.**

**And I apologize if the characters don't really keep up their character. Keep in mind I was falling asleep on the keyboard.**

* * *

I woke up and at first wondered why I was at Andrew's but heard Connor snoring lightly on the other side of the room and smiled to myself; it was actually kind of cute. We were both on air mattresses in the living room. Stephanie slept on the couch because apparently she'd been planning on spending the night anyways and I refused when she offered to let me sleep on the couch; I'll admit though, it was a pretty big let-down after Connor's couch. I don't know about you, but I don't think Stephanie came seeking refuge from her family.

Andrew had been pretty shocked to basically find us broken at his front door with a look in our eyes like we were being hunted but he still let us in, obviously. He was all panicky like "oh my gosh Megan what happened" and dragging me to the couch. I didn't even have the time to send Connor a panicked look but in the end I told him that since I didn't want to sleep in a whore-house with no iPod (after explaining the robber-guy he looked a little guilty) I slept in Connor's guest bedroom because his house is huge but then his parents found out and told him to leave and we got beat up by thugs.

You may continue to laugh/think how stupid I am.

It's not like I could tell him the truth! I mean yeah, he's Andrew, and I think he deserves to know, but it's not my secret to tell. …Plus a part of me liked having only me know his secret.

I think Andrew could tell that was not what happened but just looked at us weird and took out the air mattresses, mostly for Connor since he looked ready to sleep on rusty nails. I wonder what he thought went down, and if he's a true teenage boy, he might not be too far from the truth about how we were basically pressed against each other all night. After sitting there awake, up before everyone else, I got ready for the day and it wasn't long before we were all eating breakfast, or most of us.

* * *

I opened the cabinet wide where I knew the bowls were, snatched some Cinnamon Toast Crunch (which is as amazing and horribly fattening as it sounds) and poured some milk in. I waited for my milk to set, just another reason I'm different from most people, but this one only takes like ten seconds to soften because they're thin. Sitting next to Andrew and across from Connor I started digging in greedily.

"I'm guessing you're still living off nutri-grain bars." I didn't respond to Andrew but shot him a glare; he thought I was dieting or something. Why would I diet? He sees how much I eat! I guess he assumes all girls diet in their own way, Stephanie by not eating breakfast at all.

"Where are your glasses?" Stephanie asked with a smile in her voice but concern at the same time. It's like her nature to be cheerful and caring at the same time.

"Shattered," I answered bluntly. "They fell off and shattered. I guess after Kendall it was just waiting to happen."

"So why weren't you two at school yesterday?" Andrew asked without looking up from his food and taking another spoon-full.

Now that I think about it I did waste a whole morning at Connor's house basically sleeping. Then I realized that even though I was here so was Andrew.

"I could ask the same, except I don't think we had the same intentions as you guys." They both instantly blushed and my mission was accomplished—they were too embarrassed to question any further. I smiled to myself and ate my cereal, but it was too quiet, like no one was even breathing, let alone crunching cereal. I looked up and Connor was staring at me.

"What? Is something on my face?" I instinctively reached up for my cheek.

"No."

"Then why are you staring at me?"

"I'm more staring through you."

"Well, can you stare through something else? I'm eating."

He scoffed. "More like you were." I looked down at my bowl and there was just some messy clues of cereal and milk left over.

"That's because you never fed me!"

"Mrs. McGhee let you carve out her kitchen as soon as we got here." I couldn't really say anything to that. As soon as we got her and Andrew was done setting up the air mattress Connor passed out on it. Earlier Andrew's mom had said that I could have what I wanted and to not eat all the chips this time (which was a little embarrassing) but I kind of ended up…staring at his face. Ugh, that sounds so stalker-ish! But he's just so cute when he's asleep…and when he's awake…

"Hey, Megan," Andrew said, snapping his fingers in front of his face. "Stop zoning out in a presence as demanding and attention-worthy as mine!" I snapped back to reality and looked at the clock behind Connor and practically fell out of my seat.

"Holy crap, we're going to be late! For second period!" It's forty miles from his house to the school. He takes the bus, but once you miss it, you're screwed because Mrs. McGhee leaves for work at six thirty and the bus gets to the stop at eight thirty, so fifteen minutes ago. In any other situation I would be fine with staying at Andrew's house for the day but, of course, today just _has_ to be the day where the giant-and-super-important-end-of-term tests happen. Yay.

"There's the bikes I guess, but each only take two people at a time and no one else knows how to drive a motorcycle here." I could tell Andrew's chest puffed up a little at that.

"I can drive a motorcycle." We all turned with disbelieving faces at Connor like he just grew another arm. "I learned last year."

"Okay then. Let's go," I said, breaking the silence and walking in the garage. The familiar smell of car exhausts and rubber filled my nose. The walls were as boring as ever, just a gray that was slowly peeling off and molding in some places. Every space of wall was taken up by shelves and tables and sometimes just piles of random things that seemed to go up forever. In the middle stood two motorcycles with an old design that Andrew and his father used all the time; there was the sleek, dark blue, polished one that Andrew and his father both favored. The other one was a washed yellow color with the metal in the front rusting a little and big, old-fashioned round mirrors going off to the sides along with long metal handles that resembled a bike's but it was thicker. I'm not sure whether I imagined it or not but I think Connor's eyes wandered over to the yellow one and didn't leave.

After opening the garage door Andrew hopped onto his bike and his cheeks got tinted a pink when Stephanie got on behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist. Stephanie giggled when she saw his reaction and his cheeks got darker. I smiled at them as they sped off.

I realized I was just standing there. "Well." Connor looked up with a confused face. "Get on!" I finally said, gesturing to the motorcycle he was apparently so entranced with. In one swift motion he was on and I was kind of surprised how much he looked like he belonged on it, and I think it had something to do with his hair. I hopped behind him and as soon as my arms were securely around him he shot forward down the road. I found myself staring at his face while his hair was pushed back by then wind and he looked…happy. It was like his emotions effected my own and suddenly I was in a great mood even though we were rushing to not fail first period just a few minutes ago. I also felt really comfortable being so close to him. I'd been pretty convinced that I would blush every time I got even remotely close to him but I guess it just showed how close we were or something. He was great at driving motorcycles, better than Andrew by the way he turned and never wavered like Andrew would. Just sitting there like that, so happy and calm, it was blissful.

I was pretty ignorant to not even think that something would go wrong.

* * *

**So if you're not telepathically throttling me for getting caught by my mom then review and follow and favorite in the review because it'll boost the faves and stuff like crazy and I'll be happy. I wanted to shout out for some person that reviewed a bunch, Vivien G or something like that. Yeah, that's it. They're a guest and I just wanted to thank you for blowing up my reviews! I really do enjoy them. Well, most. But FanOfAnimeSinceForever helped me clear out all those clueless people who have no idea what fanfiction means and that it's really not that hard to find out which character is which. I just gotta rant really short, 'kay? Cuz I'm too tired to do the use (usual).**

**Okay, so they said that none of these characters resembled the ones from the anime (after I'd already ranted about it) and SoulxMaka (which I already ranted about). Then someone said it had nothing to do with the anime.**

**...**

**When they say that it makes me want to believe they mean like how they go to DWMA and everything about the magic aspect and all that. Now that, my friends, is the plot. Some might think that it's about how they try to destroy the super-kishin in the end (I forgot his name, I know, I'm a disgrace) and stuff but in the intro before like, every episode it says basically that kids go to a school to train so they can kick-butt. And then a bunch of crazy things keep happening and making it dramatic and getting them in awkward situations and all that.**

**What I'm getting at is that most fanfictions don't have the same plot as the anime. I mean some continue after or something but that's pretty much where it ends. And there are TONS of stories like mine probably where they're in a band and crap and one of them sings. I'm reading one called Music Saves the Soul that I really like (it's almost over *tear*) and it's about like this girl that works at a bar and Soul who's like the singer of this really famous band and meets her and she preforms while he's still there and then Stein the manager is like "hey she'd help widen our audience COME SING WITH US". No magical powers, no kishen, modern technology, normal moon. Not the same plot or anything to do with the plot of the anime.**

**Basically I'm asking for random people that complain and don't say anything good about my story EVEN THOUGH they read all the way to chapter eight where I rant. I think that's what one or two people did. Then someone else just asked why it was under Soul Eater (Katie girl that got me confused on what she was saying) that reviewed on the first chapter when there was like, 3-5.**

**Holy crap, I've written so much bold print. I need to sleep. Right now.**

**Review, okay? I like most of them, and if you can't tell which ones I don't like you obviously skipped the rant I gave a moment ago. And favorite and follow, too. Their essential, like pants. That's why it's not included in "no shoes, no shirt, no service". Plus it would ruin the alliteration thing they have going on there.**


	12. Chapter 12: Descending Spiral of Despair

**Sup.**

**I finally got my computer back! HALL-LE-LU-YER! But, unfortunately, I left my charger for my laptop at my grandmother's house. But there was just enough juice left to transfer all my stories onto a piggy-flash drive I found unopened.**

**I hope you like the chapter! Can you imagine not being allowed onto the internet for two weeks? IT WAS HORRIBLE. And do you know how many [New Chapter]s I have in my inbox from fanfiction? ONE HUNDRED AND THIRTY-SEVEN. It. Is. Crazy! And for those two times I uploaded over the weeks, for one of them I had to sneak onto the family computer (which I'm on now doing my best to make sure no one notices what I'm doing) while my mom was away and the other I had to sneak my laptop out of my mom's room after she went to sleep. I was really tired. ANYWAYS. Enjoy the chapter! It took me... five hours to make. Gosh. When I write I just completely lose track of time. When I first started writing for myself like, two years ago I wrote all the time. And I'm faster now because I have more of an idea what to write (and I just write better) but it takes longer than you would think before you actually start writing a longer story.**

**And for the response of... Me Myself and ME (a guest) who reviewed and asked why I didn't just use their real names it's because I would feel like I would have to include like, Japanese culture in there. Plus it makes it feel more like my story with my own names, which sometimes take forever to think up. So yeah.**

* * *

We'd gotten off the bike and now all four of us had been running at the doors full-speed. We ended up getting there right as they were closing the door to our class. When I'd walked in everyone looked at me, and I had no idea why. Wouldn't the girls be more interested in Connor? Nothing exciting happened during the exams, but when other people finished and even just after we'd started guys kept glancing me and girls kept giving me death glares. I'd shrunk back in my seat to realize the words in front of me were blurry unless I leaned back a little too far for comfort and that I didn't have my glasses. My hair was messy from the ride, but I hoped no one recognized me from Soul Tunes, even though none of them were regular or anything. I would notice. For lunch I had an apparently nutritious blob with a side of flavorless corn. One of Connor's friends sitting with him at the table near the other end of the cafeteria kept looking at me with a confused look and I realized he'd come to Soul Tunes last week. I think. I couldn't be sure.

I tried not to think about it too much; I wouldn't want to mess up the lyrics to Monster, and even if it _was_ by Paramore, we'd just leaned the song. It'd been the first new one in a while, requested by one of Angela's friends, and we were using it to finish off the night just like they'd requested since they had to finish a project together first. Stephanie kicked in with her guitar and I got ready to join in along with the rest of the band. In all honesty the only thing that could be classified as a power note was near the very end, but it was still fun to sing. Plus I think I'd been pushing it with my vocal chords lately and could use the break. (Bold=Megan, Italic=Scarlet, Bold+Italic=Both)

**You were my conscience**

**So solid, now you're like water.**

**And we started drowning**

**Not like we'd sink any farther**

**But I let my heart go**

**It's somewhere down at the bottom.**

**But I'll get a new one**

**Come back for the hope that you've stolen!**

Okay, so I'd been a little more picky than I should have been. The song had taken some warming up to for me at first, but being on stage and singing it had the same effect as I Knew You Were Trouble had, and I didn't expect that it would be so enjoyable. Connor was talking to Jim, the owner, over at the bar when the guy that had been staring at me all of today walked in. My blood froze for less than a second and then I got caught up in the song again. As I sang the next part I saw out of the corner of my eye Connor and the guy start talking along with Jim about something. After that I looked into the crowd, hoping to avoid eye contact with him.

**I'll stop the whole world**

**I'll stop the whole world!**

**From turning into a monster,**

**And eating us alive!**

**Don't you ever wonder**

**How we survi-i-i-ive?**

At this point I wasn't really paying attention to the group at the bar anymore. I had both my hands on the top of the microphone which was on the stand sitting there waiting for me so it could amplify my voice into the corners of the room and into the floor without being drowned out from the instruments blasting melody and mood into the nearby atmosphere to a perfect beat. Every note belonged, but not because they were right. For example, Andrew especially liked to put in random complicated drum sessions into the song, and when Stephanie got frustrated she would do the same thing but with the guitar.

**Well now that you're gone**

**The world**

**Is ours.**

**Ah-ah-ah-oh, oh-oh-oh-oh**

**I'm only human**

**I've got a skeleton in me.**

**But I'm not the villain**

**Despite what you're always preaching**

**_Call me_****_a traitor_****,**

**I'm just collecting your victims**

**They're **_**getting stronger**_

**I hear them calling**

_Calling _**Calling!**

For the chorus Scarlet sang in the background, but softly, so that you would notice if you heard it again that it wasn't there yet blending in enough so that you wouldn't hear it the first time. I closed my eyes for the first couple of lines and sang, loudly but clearly, into the mic.

**I'll stop the whole world,**

**I'll stop the whole world!**

**From turning into a monster**

**And eating us alive!**

**Don't you ever wonder**

**How we survi-i-i-ive?**

**Well now that you're gone,**

**The world is ours**

Stephanie got the part of the song she'd been waiting for, even if it was shorter than usual. Her long, black pony-tail danced along with the crowd as she strummed the chords and picked the notes with ease.

**Well you thought of strength and solutions!**

**But I like the ten-sion**

**And not always knowing the answers,**

_**But you're gonna lose it**_

**You're gonna lose it!**

The door opened and closed behind someone who had just walked in. They wouldn't have gotten my attention, but they started walking straight towards Connor, who was talking to Jim while the other guy stared openly with me, his mouth slightly open and a dreamy expression on his face. It was a girl, and they got all up on Connor, mini-skirt and all, after they sat down, leaning all over him. Her head turned along with Connor's and I realized who it was.

It' like the Universe is trying to get me to mess up!

**I'll stop the whole world,** _(Whole, world)_

**I'll stop the whole world!**

**From turning into a monster**

**And eating us alive!** _(Ah~, ah)_

**Don't you ever wonder**

**How we survi-i-i-ive? **_(Ah~, ah)_

**Well now that you're gone,**

**The world~**

**I'll stop the whole world **_(Whole_

**I'll stop the whole world! **_world~)_

**From turning into a monster**

**And eating us alive! **_(Ah~, ah)_

**Don't you ever wonder**

**How we survi-i-i-ive? **_(Ah~, ah)_

**Well now that you're gone,**

**The world**

**Is ours.**

After that went down I rushed off the stage and changed, trying to find a way past her. Since I couldn't leave without my nerd gear on (I messed up my hair again, the source being that I didn't have my glasses) I just had to hope she was too involved with Connor to notice. Pathetic, I know. But it was all I could come up with in two minutes of rushing.

"Megan, what's wrong?" Scarlet asked me when she saw me rushing out. In response I jerked my head in the direction of the bar. I knew she understood when her expression got panicked and her face paled a little.

"Alright, here's the plan," she said, never taking her eyes back to my face. She started to say something about going to the other side of the stage when Angela's friend ran up and asked for her autograph. Scarlet's eyes got all watery like the always do when she has a new fan. There was no longer any hope for her, so I started to walk away. I was almost out the door when someone grabbed my arm and I stiffened since it wasn't a familiar grip.

"Where do you think you're going, geek? Not gonna say hi to you're new fan?" she said sarcastically. I heard gum pop behind me before I turned around.

"Hey, Kendal," I said, obviously nervous and previously hoping this exact thing wouldn't happen.

Okay, now don't get me wrong; I am _not_ scared of Kendal—or wouldn't be in any other situation. If she just looked at the rest of the ban members longer than two seconds she would figure out who the lead singer was, like Connor. Thinking back, I don't know why I hadn't freaked out and threatened him so that he wouldn't tell anyone. In the end it worked out, but I had a feeling this wouldn't work out the same way.

"So. Did you enjoy the song?" I asked with nothing else to. I noticed Connor sitting at the bar sending me worried glances. I responded with a look that said _This is all about to blow up in my face_. I think he got the message.

"Well, it wasn't very exciting if you ask me. Then again I bet you couldn't hit a single note out of your talking range." Kendal answered. She was enjoying this conversation a little too much, if you asked me.

That last comment struck a nerve, but I had to focus on a way to get her to shut up about all this, or make it so that no one would believe her if she told everyone. Frankly I had nothing, so I tried to steer the conversation somewhere else.

"That song was requested by someone. I can sing pretty much anything." I wanted to slap myself, but I had nothing else to say that wasn't like _Hey! Have you seen my ten dollar bill?! _and then _Oh, look! A turtle sliding on it's back down a rainbow!_

"Let's not dance around the flames, shall we?" _Oh, crap. _"I can tell you don't want anyone to know about this. So how about we sing? If you win I won't tell everyone your secret, which will apparently ruin your life by the way you're acting."

"What would we do?" My heart rate was speeding up and I wasn't sure what to say. Finally I remembered. "If you do that we'll ruin your social life by your phone!"

She had a look that was way too smug to be threatened. "Disconnected. I got a smart phone." And then she pulled out an iPhone 5.

Well, that's the end of my life. My last chance is to sing against her, and under her circumstances. Which will probably be in front of the whole school.

"We'll do it at that karaoke place down on the corner of Washington and Forest. Tomorrow, eight pm. Pick your own song. Winner decided by crowd. Don't be surprised if a few extra people show up." And with that she walked by me and left. That was it.

"What did she say?!" Scarlet said as she rushed to meet me.

"She said that if win in against her in karaoke she won't ruin my life. And that her old phone is disconnected," I added as she opened her mouth to say something. She closed it.

Stephanie came over telling everyone how awesome they did in a small voice while Andrew talked loudly about how he had surpassed us all and he was the real star of the band. Travis was right behind them, not really saying anything and looking a little tired. No doubt he'd studied all night for the test today, and tests to come. He's a little bit of a perfectionist. While Scarlet explained to them what was going on, Connor half walked, half jogged up to me.

"Sorry," he said. "But I had to get rid of Ryan. He's looking for you right now, but passed by you like three times now. So don't worry." I assumed Ryan was that boy from before. "So what did Kendall say?"

"I have to beat her in a karaoke contest."

"So? She sucked when she tried out for the talent contest."

"In front of 'a few extra people'," I told him using air quotes to emphasize my point. When all I got was a blank look I continued with, "From school! What if they notice?" If you didn't assume, I looked and sounded pretty stressed out with everything that was going on. This job was mine, not the school's. I didn't want Kendall to ruin it for me by making it everyone's. It was the one place I could go where people accepted me and I didn't have to worry about it. School was a different problem. They might never see through my nerdy, untalented disguise even if the truth is shoved in heir faces. I guess that's what I was going for when I first thought about it, but now I know that it has it's ups and downs.

"Ryan didn't notice. Why didn't you just black-mail her back?"

"Phone's disconnected. We missed our chance." I crossed my arms and let a frustrated look come onto my face, pouting a little. Connor laughed and ruffled my hair, which made me crouch a little and have an annoyed look instead, even though I had to try really hard not to blush. I mumbled something about going outside before Ryan could catch up.

We weren't really walking anywhere; we just turned left and kept walking. So far we'd decided that I was going to sing What Hurts the Most by Cascada, slow version. Scarlet was going to get it on a flash drive just in case they didn't have it. When there wasn't anything else interesting to talk about, Scarlet clung to Connor beside me and Andrew and Stephanie walked holding hands about ten feet in front of me, leaving me and Travis. I was the one to spark the conversation.

"We haven't talked one-on-one in a while. What's up?"

"Nothing really," he said, looking at his feet. I noticed he was acting weird. Maybe he was just tired, but I'd seen him before tired and he just walked slower than usual. He actually talks more when he's tired.

"Did you stay up studying? Again? I don't think you're mom will kill you if you get an eighty-nine on a test. Just a guess."

"No, but Scarlet will rant on and on about Connor unless I lock myself in." I laughed because it's true. I've been trying to avoid being around her for too long lately since being able to actually talk to him encourages her to find more ways why he's "absolutely perfect" for her. When I laughed he looked up and smiled with me. There was this weird look in his eyes that he'd never given me before. It wasn't bad, but I had no idea what it was. I brushed it off and we talked about other things and laughed some more and re-told some stories. I told Travis the story of how my iPod got stolen and that I had to stay in a guest bedroom in Connor's _gigantic_ house. His face fell for some reason and he looked deep in thought. I ignored it and asked him to please not tell Scarlet or she will kill me.

Everyone parted ways (Scarlet and Travis, Connor and Andrew (Connor had to sleep somewhere other than a park bench), me, and Stephanie) and I went to my house to get my library card, going in through my window when I heard a bottle break in the kitchen and my father curse loudly. _Yep, _I thought. _He's wasted. _At the library I reviewed everything I already knew over again and finally got those books I'd been waiting for. Without anywhere else to go I went back home where I skillfully avoided a flying beer bottle before it shattered into the nearby wall while my dad screamed barely-distinguishable words at me.

When I got under the covers I had no choice but to finally think about what I'd been distracting myself from since 5:45. What if someone from school recognizes me? What if I don't win? How will they react to my singing? Will they hate the song? Will Kendal turn out to be good after all? Will they think she's lying if Kendal tells them I'm Megan or will they buy it immediately? Will they point and laugh or find out they've been wrong about me all along?

Eventually I couldn't tell whether I was awake or not, but I don't think Kendal is ten feet tall in real life. My dreams and thoughts were just a descending spiral of despair for the night as I consciously and subconsciously thought about everything that might happen.

* * *

**So yeah. I left you at a cliff-hanger but I have great plans for the next chapter, so look forward to it. I think that you'll enjoy it, I was just sitting in bed for an hour and fifteen minutes after I woke up thinking about it and rerunning it in my head.**

**I'm going to try to get the next chapter up by tomorrow, but I also have to make up for my other story which I've fallen even ****_farther_**** behind than this one. I know, how is that possible?! Well, I haven't updated as many chapters lately as I have for this one. So.**

**Please review! A big part of why I'm getting better at writing is because of your reviews! Tell me how I could improve, what I'm doing wrong. Just to leave you with something else to review and think about, what do you think is up with Travis?**

**OKAY NOW GO.**


	13. Chapter 13: Maybe it Does Mean Something

**I literally spent all day writing. Both of my stories got reallly long chapters. I've been writing this for the last four and a half hours and before that I wrote a chapter for my other story that took four hours. I've been writing since 11. It's been crazy**.

***sigh* Aannnyyywwaaayysss. Everyone was telling me to not take too long to update so I did it today. Tomorrow I get to finish all my homework. Which I haven't even started two-thirds of.**

**Umm, I don't want to just dump this on you but... Travis and Scarlet are twins. Sorry. I guess I didn't exactly make it clear, but I know I mentioned it in like, one sentence at the very beginning. So yeah. Sorry. And today I realized that Connor went different ways than everyone even though he can't go back to his parents so I made it so that Connor went to Andrew's house and Stephanie went separate ways. Sorry for all of you who had weird fantasies because of what I said. Although that's kind of weird, but thanks I guess?**

* * *

The next day passed all too quickly. It was hard to focus on the test, but I made myself check it and knew I did well. I barely touched my lunch (which was normal actually, considering that the taste was even worse than Scarlet's cooking) and then we were walking back from Soul Tunes to go to Travis and Scarlet's house. Although singing all those songs had helped distract me, now I had nothing else to think about. Everyone assured me that it was going to be fine and it helped, but any normal person in my situation would be nervous. _Maybe the song is too slow and no one will like it. Agh! No second thoughts. You've got to be confident or your singing will suck._

Oh, great. Something else to worry about.

_What if my voice cracks or they don't like my voice? What if Kendal just bribed everyone into voting for her?_

_…_

Okay, now I'm just getting paranoid. That doesn't seem too far of a stretch, though...

My thoughts were basically identical to these, my rational and irrational sides of my brain going all-out. It went all the way through Scarlet picking my outfit, which turned out to be a turquoise layered net skirt that ended two or three inches above the knee and a simple white v-neck that hugged my figure, but not tight enough to be skin-tight. I also had a pair of white boots that went to three inches under the knee with a wedge heel. Needless to say I owned zero of the outfit, which Scarlet claimed went with my blue eyes and looked nothing like I would wear as my dorky self. At least I could agree confidently with the last statement.

When I walked out Travis and Connor stared at me, Andrew and Stephanie too absorbed in each other to notice anyone else.

"Like what you see?" I asked teasingly with a smile.

"You actually look like a girl," Connor said. I sent him a glare, which he shrugged at, but Travis just blushed and looked away. I gave him a strange look.

...Okay...?

"You look really pretty, Megan," he said, still looking away.

Now I know he's acting weird. It just got weirder when Connor looked at him with a look close to wanting to murder, but Travis didn't see.

"Um...we should probably go..." I said, edging towards the door. Just because it distracted me doesn't mean I have to like it. Considering the size of the heel was close to three inches and I _never_ wore heels, it was pretty comfortable. I didn't want to jinx it though, since Andrew's mom was driving it and I've barely had to walk in them yet. It was a big car, but there were only six seats—two in the front, driver and passenger, then two behind it, then two more. The middle was wide, like a bus isle. I'd just realized there were seven of us, including Mrs. McGhee.

Scarlet was just offering to sit on Connor's lap when—before I could do anything about it—Connor pulled me onto his lap. I blushed like crazy but managed to force out a sentence without stuttering.

"Why'd you do that? I would've just sat in-between Travis and Stephanie on the floor in the back." He tensed when I said the last sentence for some weird reason, but I brushed it off when I heard what he had to say.

"Scarlet would've sat on my lap anyways."

"I guess you're right..." My voice faded out and I cleared my throat, still blushing. Connor just smiled at how red I was and I punched his shoulder, frustrated with him and myself.

Derek's Karaoke was close to the school, which meant that it was far away from Andrew's house. After the first fit of blushing it was surprisingly comfortable sitting there and not awkawrd, except that Mrs. McGhee kept grinning at me and Connor knowingly. Only I noticed, but I wasn't sure what it meant.

We finally pulled up to the bar/karaoke joint that blended in with the bland stores around it but lit up like a flashing beacon at night, since that's when it was open. There was a giant neon sign above it that said, you guessed it, "Derek's Karaoke". There were a bunch of neon signs on the windows shaped like microphones and guitars and all that. It looked like a pretty neat place. Mrs. McGhee drove off and we walked towards the attention-worthy building.

I'd never been inside before, which caused me to stop and freeze at how big it was on the inside, and _completely_ full. There were probably seventy people in there! In the back was a stage with a single stool on it and a microphone on a stand, just sitting there. While Scarlet shoved me toward an employee and Stephanie tried to assure me it was going to be okay, I really wanted to bolt. But that would just be my ultimate doom and Kendal would surely tell everyone. I noticed most of them were young enough to go to school with me, and figured they were the "extra people".

After talking to the employee named Elliot who wouldn't stop staring at me it turned out we had our own table, reserved or something. It was this booth, and although there wasn't any food there was still a waitresses who asked for our drinks. I'd been worried she was too busy flirting with Connor to notice anything. Scarlet glared at her and she backed off, which I was surprisingly relieved at. Then I tried not to think about why. There was a small voice in the back of my head peeping out at me but I smashed it back into the ground with the part of me that didn't want to get hurt.

Suddenly Kendal was at our table. "So, you ready to lose?" she asked, really annoying me. I felt a muscle above my eyebrow twitch as I stared at my drink and didn't say anything.

"Not even gonna talk to your opponent? How rude." I almost lunged at her since I was at the part of the seat where you could just step off without stepping on anyone when Connor, who was sitting to my right, grabbed my arm and pulled me back into my seat. I'd almost said that talking is useless since words can't describe her, and not in a good way. I clamped my mouth shut and until she started to walk away, mouthing a string of insults at her back and shooting daggers with my narrowed eyes.

"I don't know how you deal with her," Andrew said, looking at her back as well, but a little frightened. "Of course, I could deal with her. I could deal with everyone! And no one would dare insult me!" He did his crazy laugh and I didn't miss how he completely changed the topic towards himself.

Someone walked onto the stage with a microphone—Elliot. "Alright, I know a lot of you are here just for this, and it's your lucky day, because the competition is about to start!" Some people cheered and some exchanged confused looks with one another, but I just soaked up the words. "For those of you who don't know, we have two girls competing tonight. They both get to sing a song, and the best part is that the crowd gets to decide who wins!" Now everyone was cheering, looking excited. "First up is singing Maneater by Nelly Furtado!" I've heard of that song before, but I didn't especially like the song. It wasn't very exciting, and had less vocal action than Monster did.

While the intro played I noticed how slutty she was dressed today, in jean booty shorts and a tight gray, super-low u-neck that showed most of her bra, which was pink cheetah print. How did I not notice that? The song started and I tried to figure out why she would pick this song, other than it's the only thing she could sing.

**Everybody look at me, me****  
****I walk in the door you start screaming****  
****Come on everybody what you here for?****  
****Move your body around like a nympho****  
****Everybody get your necks to crack around****  
****All you crazy people come on jump around****  
****I want to see you all on your knees, knees****  
****You either want to be with me, or be me!**

I immediately noticed her tactic, and that was to woo the boys. All the girls were looking each other like they were a little disappointed but the guys were just drooling over her. She kept doing these really slutty moves too, like slapping the inside of her thighs and sticking out her butt. It made me a little nauseous.

"Ew," I heard Travis say quietly, who was sitting across from me.

"Shouldn't you be enjoying this?"

"I don't like her anymore," he told me.

"Thank god!" I said, relieved and rolling my eyes. "I thought you would forever think that Kendal was as good as they get."

**Maneater, make you work hard****  
****Make you spend hard****  
****Make you want all, of her love****  
****She's a maneater****  
****make you buy cars****  
****make you cut cards****  
****make you fall, real hard in love****  
****She's a Maneater, make you work hard****  
****Make you spend hard****  
****Make you want all, of her love****  
****She's a maneater****  
****make you buy cars****  
****make you cut cards****  
****Wish you never ever met her at all!**

I couldn't believe I'd just noticed, but there were barely any girls to be found in the crowd, and only a few of them looked around my age. I knew what she was doing, and I got pretty mad, because the guys obviously didn't care how she sounded by the way they were drooling all over her. The song's not even that good! Wake up!

**And when she walks she walks with passion****  
****when she talks, she talks like she can handle it****  
****when she asks for something boy she means it****  
****even if you never ever seen it****  
****everybody get your necks to crack around****  
****all you crazy people come on jump around****  
****you doing anything to keep her by your side****  
****because, she said she love you, love you long time!**

"Scarlet!" I hissed at her, having to lean across Connor in the process. She was hugging his arm with both of hers. She looked up at me expectantly. "She's just seducing the millions of guys! They don't care what she sounds like!"

She looked around and finally said, "Oh yeah," and then shrugged, too concerned with Connor to actually care.

"Why don't you just beat her at her own game?" Stephanie suggested, who sat in-between Travis and Andrew on the other side. I just stared at her along with everyone else, except for Scarlet, who was staring at Connor.

"That doesn't sound like such a bad idea," Connor finally said. Travis, Andrew, and Stephanie agreed, and I swear they were ganging up on me. This conversation was blocking out the rest of the song, but we weren't missing anything except a lot of butt-slapping. I wonder what her parents think of her.

"What?" I finally said. "You want me to go up there and look like a slut?"

"No," Stephanie said, frustrated. "You could just sing a not-so-innocent song. The guys at Soul Tunes already fall over you singing regularly. Just a few extra swings of the hips and some intense stares and _viola_." I just stared at her some more. I had no idea this was what Stephanie thought of up there.

"How about Circus?" Oh, so _now_ Scarlet decides to join in.

"I don't know all the words," I said, not really objecting. It wasn't that bad of a song, and not that suggestive either. Just not innocent, like Stephanie said.

"There's a screen right there," Travis said, pointing at the ceiling in Kendal's direction. Sure enough there was a TV hanging from it, and although I couldn't see what was on it Kendal glanced towards it a lot while she was singing. There was clapping and wolf whistles and I knew Kendal was done.

"Next up," Elliot started. I ran up to the stage. "Is going to sing—" Before he could finish his sentence I yanked him down a little so that I could whisper into his ear.

"Circus by Britney Spears," I said softly. Then I looked up to find everyone looking at me expectantly. I just waved awkwardly. Probably not the best move, but I was nervous.

"Circus by Britney Spears," he said into the microphone while looking at me a little strangely. I think he was trying to flirt. I just ignored him. I was in a pretty innocent outfit, especially compared to Kendal. Scarlet mouthed something to me about my skirt and I put my hands on the top of it, raising my eyebrows at her. She nodded and I hiked it up so that it was mid-thigh. She motioned for it to go higher but I shook my head at her like she was crazy.

At the intro I tried to forget what was on the line and enjoy the song, because that would increase my chances of winning and doing the whole sexy-thing right.

Well... here goes nothing...

**There's only two types of people in the world;****  
****The ones that entertain, and the ones that observe.****  
****Well baby I'm a put-on-a-show kinda girl****  
****Don't like the backseat, gotta be first.**

**I'm like the ringleader  
I call the shots  
I'm like a firecracker  
I make it hot  
When I put on a show**

To be honest I was kind of enjoying the expressions on all the boys faces. I would just look one in the eyes, swing my hips, and then suddenly their hand will fly to their nose to cover it. I guess the skirt was a big factor. Since I wasn't acting supper-slutty, the girls seemed to be enjoying it as well. I tried not to go after anyone's boyfriend, Stephanie's is an exception.

**I feel the adrenaline moving through my veins  
Spotlight on me and I'm ready to break  
I'm like a performer, the dance floor is my stage  
Better be ready, hope that ya feel the same**

I looked at Andrew the whole time. He knew I was targeting him, and I could see him shift in his seat, uncomfortable. I gave him an intense stare—not creepy, like, seductive—just like Stephanie told me.

By the third line blood was slipping past his hands that were covering his nose. It looked like he wanted to look away really badly but just couldn't. On the fourth line I wiggled my eyebrows at him, just to see if it would work, and next thing I know he's flying back because of a major nose bleed. I tried not to laugh so much and continued with the song, which I wasn't even halfway into. For the chorus I moved around a little more but that was basically the only difference.

**All the eyes on me in the center of the ring  
Just like a circus  
When I crack that whip, everybody gonna trip  
Just like a circus  
Don't stand there watching me, follow me  
Show me what you can do!  
Everybody let go, we can make a dance floor  
Just like a circus**

**There's only two types of guys out there,  
Ones that can hang with me, and ones that are scared  
So baby I hope that you came prepared  
I run a tight ship, so beware.**

At "ship" I changed position in time with the "snap" in the music; at first I was just walking, then I stopped and stood normally, but I widened my legs and leaned forward, staring at some guy that looked pretty decent. He was a goner and flew back almost as spectacularly as Andrew.

**I'm like a ring leader, I call the shots.  
I'm like a fire cracker,  
I make it hot when I put on a show.**

I sang the pre-chorus and chorus again, then came to the bridge, which barely had any words in it. It doesn't really make any sense, but there's usually another voice in the background.

**Let's go  
Let me see what you can do.  
I'm running this.  
Yeah, like what?**

It was time for the last chorus which repeated, but I didn't really seduce any guys and just sang. A few still had their hands on their nose, though. I guess the last part was for the girls or something.

**All the eyes on me in the center of the ring  
Just like a circus  
When I crack that whip, everybody gonna trip  
Just like a circus  
Don't stand there watching me, follow me  
Show me what you can do!  
Everybody let go, we can make a dance floor  
Just like a circus**

**All the eyes on me in the center of the ring  
Just like a circus  
When I crack that whip, everybody gonna trip  
Just like a circus  
Don't stand there watching me, follow me  
Show me what you can do!  
Everybody let go, we can make a dance floor  
Just like a circus.**

* * *

The crowd erupted into cheers and whistles. I stood still while Kendal walked up the steps to stand next to me where we'd wait to see who would win. She looked a little too confident and I wondered if she really did bribe everyone.

"Alright!" Elliot was up on the stage with a microphone in his hand. "The winner is decided off of applause! If it's too close to call, we'll have to count hands, so either cheer for one girl or neither. Got it?" When everyone responded in some way (nodding, shouting "Just get on with it!") he continued.

"All of those for Kendal!" There were a lot of guys wolf-whistling and clapping and "Come home with me"s, but the girls just looked at each other like _Men._ and made no noise at all.

"And those for... the other girl!" The noise that followed after he said that was so loud I instinctively reached my hands over my ears.

"Well, I guess that means you win. Why don't you tell us your name?" He handed me the microphone and I had no choice but to take it. I saw Kendal's face out of the corner of my eye, and I might have laughed at the pure shock but I was too busy freaking out. _Calm down, _I thought to myself. _Just tell them a fake name._ I was going to say something like Penelope or use Scarlet's when Kendal snatched a microphone off of the DJ's stand and did it. All I could think about was that it was over; she's going to tell everyone my name is Megan Pine and then it's all over. Maybe even my middle name. I didn't like the smug smile she had on her face, either. Then again I didn't like anything about her in the end.

"This girl's name is—"

"Jasmine," Connor said next to me, my microphone sitting in my hand picking it up. He slipped his arm around my waist and then said something else. "My girlfriend."

There was silence until someone in the crowd said "Connor has a girlfriend?"

It was like a bomb went off. Everyone in the crowd was murmuring about how he "finally" had a girlfriend and that they couldn't believe it.

As if things couldn't get any worse, Kendal said, "Prove it."

I just stared at her. Did she seriously just do that. Now the crowd was murmuring their agreements. Someone finally started chanting and then the whole place was eventually going "Prove~ it! Prove~ it! Prove~ it!" over and over and over. I looked over for help at the booth, but Scarlet was just looking at us with horror, frozen to the spot, so she wasn't going to be any help. I looked over at Stephanie who was actually chanting—although not as loudly—along with the crowd. I sent her my coldest, most scary glare and she shrunk into the booth like she wanted to melt into it. She looked so scared it was as if I was wearing a ski mask and threatening her with a running chainsaw. While she was out alone. In the woods.

"Alright then," Kendal started. "Jasmine's real name is..." he voice faded out and everyone stopped chanting at the shock of what I did.

What was I supposed to do?! I was cornered! It was either have my secret revealed or kiss Connor (which actually didn't seem like a punishment to me). So, I used my hand to turn his head and then rammed my lips into his.

Suddenly the crowd erupted into applause and wolf whistles and some guys were screaming "Get some!" but I didn't really hear them, and I don't think Connor did, either. I put my hand behind his neck to pull him closer and deepen the kiss at the same time he wrapped his arms around my lower back to pull me closer and deepen the kiss. Only the tip of my shoes were touching the ground since he was lifting me up a little, but I would've felt like I was floating even if I was plummeting down to the Earth's core.

I was kind of in a faze and don't really remember what happened, but I knew there was tongue involved. _A lot_ of tongue. And that he tasted so _good, _I just couldn't get enough of it! No one was really dominate, we just let each other explore the new mouth shoved in front of us without really fighting with our tongues or whatever people apparently do when they make out.

I'm not sure how long we stayed like that with our eyes closed, but it couldn't have been long because the crowd was still cheering. Suddenly I was yanked back by a boy in a black shirt; I looked up and saw Travis looking down at me, one of his eyebrows twitching. I looked in front of me and Scarlet stood grabbing onto Connor's left arm looking like a coiled snake, warning me that if I came too close she was going to lunge.

"That's enough, don't you think?" The twins said at the same time. Then there was Connor, looking at me with an expression like he was still soaking in everything that just happened. So was I. We just stared at each other for a while before we both started visibly and blushed, looking at anything but each other.

I quickly got up and started speed-walking towards the booth, my face still completely flushed. Then I grabbed Stephanie's hand and dragged her out the door along with me. When we were outside I turned around to face her and completely flipped.

"Stephanie! What just happened?!" I asked, shaking her shoulders back and forth.

"You kissed Connor," she said with a mischievous expression on her face. "And you liked it."

Great. Just when my blush had started to slip away.

"What?! No I... okay, so maybe a little..." This was not supporting my point. With nothing else to say I just looked at my feet while Stephanie put her hand on my shoulder.

"It's okay—it was bound to happen sometime." Her voice was more gentle than before, but I could still tell that she had no intention of giving in to my theory. I let out a breath before hearing footsteps and turning to find Scarlet walking towards me, the most angry I'd ever seen her. Ever. And that was saying something. I had a fleeting moment of empathy for Travis as my eyes widened and I bolted, Stephanie wishing me good luck while I ran with my back to her. Unfortunately these shoes weren't the best for running and she caught up as I was running around a corner. She did something that hurt so much more than grinding my bones into the ground or shoving my face into the cement wall.

She started crying.

"How could you do that to me?" she said in-between sobs. "You kissed him! In front of me!"

"I'm sorry!" I said, wanted to comfort her but afraid she would push off my hand. "I panicked and just... I didn't want everyone to know who I really was! They would ruin both of my lives!"

She sniffed and didn't look at me. Then, in a voice where you could hear the pout and hope she asked, "So it didn't mean anything?" I froze a little before answering.

"It was just a spur of the moment," I said, hoping she wouldn't notice what I did there.

She stiffened up and then said "Tell me it didn't mean anything. Please tell me it didn't mean anything." I opened my mouth, but nothing came out. It was like it was on the tip of my tongue and then it just rolled off. I couldn't do it. I just couldn't.

Crying again, she ran off to leave me feeling horrible by myself. It didn't mean anything, so why couldn't I just say it? It didn't mean anything.

Right?

That annoying voice I'd pounded into the head poked it's head out.

_Wrong._

* * *

**Do you think it meant anything?**

**I think you do.**

**I don't know if I've mentioned Megan's last name before, but if I have can you tell me? Because I don't think I had and just thought of Pine. So yeah.**

**I have to take a shower because some people are coming over for new years and I haven't even gotten out of my pajama's. So I'll make this short:**

**You should review. Now.**

**...Please? I worked really hard on this chapter! It took FIVE. HOURS. (I just finished editing and now it's past eight so yeah. Five hours.)**


	14. Chapter 14 Multiple Personality Disorder

**Okay. So I haven't updated in two weeks.**

**Ehhhh...**

**I don't know what to say.**

**I feel like a jerk because I gave this rant about people and how they use excuses like school and that I think people should update every day and crap but...**

**I HAVE NO TIME TO WRITE.**

**I seriously did this in one sitting. I just haven't been able to! I would do my homework and then practice piano and then eat and then get in bed and then remember that I forgot to study and it was just crazy. I had four midterms in one day. It was crazy. And I had to rush to finish my science project. I was pretty proud of my board, but I sorta kind of did it all in one night. So yeah. I was up 'till like, three just finishing up. Because right when I finished I realized I hadn't even started on my science journal.**

**This was in one night people.**

**Anyways. I think this chapter is interesting, even if there really isn't any fluff. And it's important. VERY IMPORTANT. So read it. And forgive me! Please!**

**I'm really sorry...**

* * *

For the next few days Scarlet basically shunned me. She just stuck to Connor. I would start to walk up and she would let out a "hmph" and then drag Connor away with her. Then I would sulk the rest of the day.

Lately at home I wouldn't really sleep. I would just climb out my window and sit out in the cold and look up at the stars. I wasn't thinking about anything, it was just nice out there. I loved the crisp feeling of the air. I still didn't have an iPod, but my birthday was coming up in... three weeks? Yeah. November 17th. Still almost a month away from now, October 28th. Maybe I'll use my money to get another shuffle.

I wasn't really sure what to do. We were always such a happy group, and everything just got better when Stephanie and Andrew got together, and then I would go over to my "job" and watch everything unfold in just the right way.

I hate it. I had no idea so much of me leaned on Scarlet, but I do. And that's only like, twenty percent of it. The thing is, Scarlet is sensitive—you know, emotionally. I'm sure you could've guessed that much after her breakdown. She's really fragile, and I've always tried to make her happy. I even started to think the kiss was my fault. I mean, I did technically start the kiss. And would it be that bad for everyone to know that I was Megan, not Scarlet, Connor's first ever girlfriend? That would be so many girl's dreams, to have so much attention on them at once and look so cool while they secretly enjoyed it. It's pretty obvious that Scarlet likes Connor. I should've thought before doing that.

_Sure. Because a spur of the moment thing is _totally _something you think over first._

_Shut up._

Lately that voice in the back of my head has been really annoying. I mean, I used to be able to smash it to pieces every time the glue finished drying, but now it's more like trying to push a piano up a hill—it crushes you, not the other way around. I had been sitting outside on the small ledge I had outside my window yesterday when it decided to pop up again.

_You know you can only pick one._

Despite myself I was curious.

_...What do you mean?_

_It's either Scarlet are Connor. You can't have both._

Oh, God. Nope. I refuse. I have absolutely no idea what you mean. _Since when did this become so melodramatic? It's just a matter of waiting for Scarlet to get over it._

_You're going to push away one of them. Which one will it be?_

I really didn't want to think about that, but I'd been putting that little pop-goes-the-weasel back in the ground more than a few times already. So it was time to listen, and then understand. I can't just refuse to think about it. Okay, deep breath. Let's see. What Scarlet wants is me to back away from Connor, so that would mean I would pick Scarlet. But how would I push away Scarlet? Hang out with Connor? I'd already been doing that. How would I pick Connor over...

Oh, shit.

Crap. Oh crap. OhcrapohcrapohcrapohcrapOHCR AP.

The realization just hit me all at once. I thought more than one thing at once. These things were, not in the particular order:

_She doesn't want me to be his girlfriend, so then...?_

_OH CRAP._

_I would have to be his girlfriend._

_MOTHER—!_

_She thinks I'm a threat, but wouldn't I have to like him for that to happen? I mean, I guess you might get that impression if they just made out...and one of them sort of liked it...a lot..._

_ERMERGERD._

_What was all that crap that Stephanie told me about after I pulled her out? "It was bound to happen" or something like that?_

_ASDFGHJKL._

_...If Stephanie and Scarlet both noticed...Scarlet maybe more subconsciously, or she's trying to ignore it...is it really that obvious?_

_I do like him._

_OH DEAR GOD._

After that realization, things got a whole lot more complicated in the attic.

I sighed and let my head hang just reliving it. I wonder what I looked like when I started panicking last night. I think I started hyperventilating. Something rustled, but I was too distracted to notice which direction it came from. My head snapped up and I got ready to make a break for it.

"Megan?"

Error: complete confusion.

"Travis?"

"Hi." He stepped out so the light from the lamp post hit him. He looked nervous. Relieved (and still confused) I sat back down and gave the spot next to me a quick pat. He sat next to me and I pulled my knees up to my chest.

"How did you find out where I live?"

"I just asked Andrew." I guess that would be enough. He probably didn't even ask why, not that it really mattered. It's just Travis.

"So. Not to be blunt, but why are you here?" Needless to say, adding that to the beginning didn't stop it from sounding blunt. I didn't really think anything of it.

He started fiddling with his fingers and blushing, looking down at his lap. He looked really nervous about something.

"What happened? Did something happen? Is Scarlet hurt? Your mom?" I had a three second heart attack and then realized that it might have to do with me. "Did you break something of mine? Flush my wallet down a toilet?" He didn't say anything. "Is it bad?"

"It...depends on what you think...about me."

"What?" I asked, giving him a look like he'd just asked me if my pet walrus was still bed-ridden.

He let out a shaky breath and sat there for a second. I was really starting to get worried over here. Finally he looked up and right into my eyes.

"Listen. I can't believe I haven't noticed before. We're really close, right?" When I nodded he continued, never breaking his gaze. "Remember when you said that you were relieved I knew that Kendal wasn't the best out there?" I smiled, remembering.

"Yeah. You had your breakthrough." Major breakthrough.

"Well, I didn't just wake up one day not liking her anymore. I liked someone else before, and I think I liked her for longer than I knew about."

"Uh huh..." I had no idea what he was talking about, and why he was acting like it was his dying wish.

"I like you, Megan. 'Like' as in 'love'."

Hold up.

*Processing...please wait.*

WHAT?!

Nope. Not doing that. Not now. This is soooo not the time. I just...can't!

Nothing left to do here...

So I ran. Just bolted then and there. I didn't hear anything, so I can't remember whether he called my name or what. My bare feet hit the cold road and my striped, old, too-big-for-me-pajamas waved wildly in the breeze. There was a mist, the kind I love and that always get me in a good mood, but I didn't notice except that my nose started going numb from the coldness. Before I even knew what was going on, the I was bursting in through Andrew's door. Literally. There was a nice loud _smack_ when it hit the wall. In front of me I saw Connor and Andrew playing some XBOX game turn whip their heads around to look at me.

"Megan? What..." Connor couldn't exactly finish his thought since I ran into the guest room and slammed the door behind me, not bothering to close the front door as well. Flinging myself onto the bed, I realized I was crying when my face landed on the recently-dry pillow.

_...What? Why am I..._

I don't even know. I'm just so confused! And right after I got all that emotional baggage about Connor stacked on my load that suddenly appeared all at once. Well, I guess I'd just been ignoring it for a while, but it would just catch the next train. I guess it finally discovered the bullet train and just attacked me from behind. It's not that I was really sad—it's just that I had no idea what to do.

_Oh, God,_ I whined. _I ran away from him. Just ran away after he...confessed! To me! How am I supposed to face him?! What if he ignores me, too? We've had a hard enough time playing without a pianist. Everything is falling apart. What happened to my perfect little model, so carefully put together? What unknown force is stomping on it?_

_...Too many metaphors..._

I froze as I heard the door creak open. There's really no point in closing the door to block people if you don't lock it, is there? "Megan?" a voice finally said.

Of course it's Connor. What other option is there? Definitely not making it easy for Megan. That would make too much sense.

"Megan?"

A muffled moan was my only response. When I remembered that I liked him again, I blushed so much that it was suffocating and I had to take my face away from the pillow. All I did was face the wall, though. A sudden shift and creak on the bed let me know that Connor was sitting on the foot of the bed. I pulled my knees up to my chest, not knowing what to do and suddenly very shy, not that I should be. I mean, I'd just burst in wearing my pajamas that were beginning to stick to me at dark to see the guy that I suddenly knew I liked. No reason at all.

Screw that. I'm freaking dying of heat exhaustion over here!

Frick.

I just admitted it.

"Megan, what's up?" It wasn't a casual "hey, what's up" what's up, more like a "hey something about you is delusional and I need to know what" what's up. Big difference.

I didn't say anything, but even if I did I don't think it would have been intelligible. I just needed a second. Shouldn't Andrew be here? Why would Connor care?

I mean... not that I didn't want him to...

Aaand now I'm blushing again.

I am so confused.

"Megan, come on. If you're going to ask why I care, just think about how stupid of a question that is first."

Now he can read minds. Why.

Why.

I let out a squeal as the sheet I was on suddenly was pulled backwards and then stopped, flipping me over. Connor, who let go of the sheet, crouched down so that our eyes were level and a little too close for me to think properly.

"Megan, I want to know. Why won't you tell me?" My mind faltered when I saw his expression. He looked genuinely hurt, and it broke me just like that time he got beaten by his own parents. Remembering him like that and seeing him like that now almost made me cry, but I stopped my eyes from watering in the end.

What do I say? Do I tell him the truth? What would I say if I lied?

Won't he find out eventually?

That last thought caused me to take sit up and take a shaky breath as Connor took a seat next to me. "Andrew, get in here." My voice wasn't raised above talking, but Andrew walked in after a few seconds, his cheeks red from embarrassment of being found out. It's not that hard. Really.

Before I even started I knew that if I looked at either one of them before I was done I would lose my nerve, so I stared at my lap as if begging it to give me all the answers to my problems. "So I was sitting on my windowsill and Travis walks up and I let him sit next to me. Then he... well, I don't remember exactly how he opened up the topic, but he... confessed... to me. And then I ran away, like at that moment, and when I was in my right mind I was slamming open your door." I held my breath and braced myself like I was waiting for a pimp-slap or something. I wasn't exactly expecting an interrogation.

"What did you say?" I looked up in surprise to Andrew, who looked completely shocked. Just about half as much as I felt.

"I don't really remember, but it wasn't a 'that's a relief, I like you too'." I can remember that much. "Jesus, what do you think I said? I ran away!" Seriously, Andrew. The look on his face screamed "oh, yeah" just like when I was back at Connor's and couldn't remember the title of Donnie Darko. Not that I was thinking it at the time, but that movie was weird.

"Why did you run away?" I turned to look at Connor, who looked surprisingly calm. It hurt a little, actually. Stupid girly emotions. I fled because I panicked, but I knew that wasn't what he was asking. He was asking why I'd panicked in the first place. It was a fair question, but one I couldn't answer. Saying I had a lot on my mind would be true, but Scarlet alone wouldn't be enough to fill the order. And I couldn't exactly tell him that it was because I liked him after just recently finding out myself. So then what?

I shrugged as I answered. "It just... surprised me." That much was definitely true.

"Well, it didn't surprise me." I looked up at him with interest and surprise. And, not to mention, confusion. But that had been with me for the past few days. He answered my unasked question of "What?"

"How could you not notice the way he acted around you? You can't deny he's been acting weird."

"Why didn't you tell me?!" It would've saved a lot of panic!

"It's not my job to interfere with your love life. Plus, I don't think you would've believed me." If he only knew how much he already interfered with my love life, seeing as I didn't want one before I met him. But I guess he's right that I wouldn't believe him. I didn't necessarily want Connor to leave, but I had to be alone.

"Okay, you guys. I'm going to sleep." I'm pretty sure they both knew I'd be spending the majority of the night staring at my ceiling and freaking, but they left anyways. I pulled the cover over my chest and tried to get warm. I didn't bother changing though, since I wasn't even remotely aware that my clothes were still wet. There were too many thoughts occupying my mind for me to focus on some little detail about changing.

I really wish I hadn't listened to that voice.

* * *

**Please review. It makes me want to write more. Maybe you'll get me to rush to do my homework instead of doing it while rolling off the couch and watching TV on the floor until my mom gets home and yells at me for lying on the floor with my homework everywhere. Plus I like reading them. But I guess that's the inspiring part...**

**Oh yeah. My laptop is pretty much broken. After it's hibernation with me laving the charger at my grandparents' house from Christmas (my dad ordered a new one online for like, six dollars) it's been worn out or something. I think it's because when we tried out a charger from radio shack it messed up because we tried the positive and negative... yeah, it's a positive. I think that's it. I suck. But I had a paper due the next day that was on there! In the end I had to type it again from a hard copy and do my best to edit. This was not my fault! I told my dad a billion times that I needed a new one but when I told him that he was like "you never told me!" and I was like, yelling at him. In my mind. IN MY MIND.**

**That was a bad joke from Adventure Time. I love that show, but I think I just ruined it for some of you. That really was a bad joke. I mean, because it's not easy to connect that it's from Adventure Time.**

**I'll shut up now.**

***After this announcement!***

**REVIEW.**


	15. Chapter 15: Roger Rabbit

**Okay, I know I've been gone for an excessive amount of time and I could tell you that I'm busy and it's soccer season again and other stuff that you probably wouldn't believe, but I completly deserve it. So hate me. Please! It'll make me feel less guilty. Oh yeah, but since I've been gone here's a recap.**

**RECAP: After Connor and Megan kissed to save her identity, Scarlet pretty basically shunned Megan for a week. Then Travis confessed to Megan and, not even knowing what she was doing, Megan bolted and ended up at Andrew's house where Connor was staying after all of the parent madness. (I mean really, it was pretty obvious he wasn't wanted there.) Megan told Connor and Andrew what happened. This chapter is set in the day after.**

* * *

"Okay, we'll be right back. You just… stay there."

"Um… okay?"

"Okay. Bye." I watched as he finally closed the door behind him and wondered why he was acting so weird. Then he popped his head through the door again.

"Stay."

"Leave already!"

I sighed as the door slammed. What is up with Andrew? And why did Connor have to leave? I mean, I want us to be… okay, alone, but I'm not sure just how awkward I would be finally knowing… you know. That I have a teensy-tiny-itty-bitty crush on Connor.

Uggghhh…

Why did I have to realize this sort of thing at the worst possible moment? And then at the same time Travis somehow got it in his mind that I'm his dream girl when I'm pretty sure he only likes me without the glasses. I mean, I think. This happened yesterday, I don't know what you expect.

I'm not even sure why they left, especially in the middle of a storm; something about Andrew's mom. He's definitely hiding something, but I'm not sure whether Connor knew what was going on or not. He just kind of went with it.

Because I couldn't go back to my house and get clothes, Connor had offered me some of his clothes—I'm pretty sure I'd blushed when I'd taken them from his hand, because he was smiling like he had something against me. When Andrew and Connor were gone, I pressed my nose up to Connor's shirt I was wearing and breathed in deep. After a moment of bliss, I realized what I was doing and ran off to my room to attempt to smother my blush and shame into my pillow. _Now I'm a pervert, on top of everything else?!_ Still, I couldn't resist another sniff.

I can't worry about Andrew right now, even if it's not that big; too much happened at once and everything is still sinking in. I think part of my brain is fried. The weird thing is that some girls would actually _want_ to be in my situation. They just watch too many dramas.

Nothing is working! Not the TV, the XBOX, food. With a frustrated noise I pushed myself off of the couch and started wandering around. I think Andrew has a blue guitar somewhere. He wanted an electric one, and I think he never played it because it wasn't great enough for him or something. If he even has one. I really don't want to go into his room because it's a pigsty and smells pretty funky, but I was forced after I searched everywhere else in the house. There it was, lying on the ground. Using an umbrella, I poked off some jeans lying on top of it and scooped the guitar up, bolting out of the room and letting go of the breath I'd been holding in there. I would've sat on the couch to play, but I didn't know how long it'd been since the guys left and didn't want them walking in on me—it would be embarrassing and it would look like I'd wanted them to find me like that. So I walked into my room and sat on my bed. Then I realized I didn't know what to play.

I only know so many songs on the guitar. I don't want an overused one, like Stomach Tied in Knots, and it can't just be some random song, either. In the end I did Rodger Rabbit. For one, I can never get tired of Sleeping With Sirens, and for another I felt like I was drawn to it for some reason. It was probably the melody and lyrics, the mood overall.

I started picking the strings, but it took me a few tries to remember the notes and a few more tries to not mess up. I hadn't realized how long it'd been since I'd played this song. Eventually I was able to keep it going. I started to sing and I realized why I'd chosen the song.

**Is there a right way for how this goes?**

**You got your friends and you got your foes.**

**They want a piece of somethin' hot,**

**Forget your name like they forgot.**

**Oh~**

**Ain't that somethin'.**

I cursed under my breath as I messed up during the interval. After I got the rhythm back I'd had before and kept going from where I'd left off.

**Some wanna see you crash and burn,**

**And criticize your every word.**

**I'm trying to keep from going insane,**

**Ain't that the way of this whole damn thing.**

**Oh~**

**Just trying to show you somethin'**

**More**

I didn't even notice that I'd transitioned into chords without messing up or having to remember how for the chorus. I was starting to space out like I sometimes do when I sing.

**Nobody's gonna love you if**

**You can't display a way**

**To capture this**

**Nobody's gonna hold your hand**

**And guide you through;**

**It's up for you to understand.**

**Nobody's gonna feel your pain**

**When all, is done,**

**And it's time for you to walk away.**

**So when you have today you should**

**Say all that you have to say.**

I wasn't really seeing anything around me anymore, and I wasn't really paying attention to what I was doing. I wasn't thinking about Travis or Connor or Scarlet or home, but I was still somehow letting all of it out into a song. Don't ask me how, because I wouldn't be able to answer.

**Is there a right way for being strong?**

**Feels like I'm doin' things all wrong.**

**Still I'm here just holdin' on,**

**Confess me heart and forgive my wrongs.**

**Oh~**

**Tryin' to be somethin'**

**More**

At this point I was really into the song (if you hadn't already guessed by my constant reminders). I couldn't see or hear or feel anything out of the song. I wasn't thinking anything, but all these feelings were coming and going and sinking in. I wasn't aware of anything that might've happened; the siren of an ambulance passing by, the rain pounding my window.

The sound of four pairs of feet coming in through the front door.

**Nobody's gonna love you if**

**You can't display a way**

**To capture this**

**Nobody's gonna hold your hand**

**And guide you through;**

**It's up for you to understand.**

**Nobody's gonna feel your pain**

**When all, is done,**

**And it's time for you to walk away.**

**So when you have today you should**

**Say all that you have to say!**

**Don't point the blame when you can't find nothin'!**

**Look to yourself and you might find somethin'.**

Those two lines made my heard sink so fast my voice wavered so that I had to stop, breathe a shaky breath and collect myself, and keep going.

**It's time that we sorted out**

**All of the things we complain about.**

I surprised myself with the amount of feeling I was putting into the song without trying. I couldn't stop, though, and it kind of felt refreshing to be able to finally vent. My voice rose in volume as I continued to sing.

**So listen close! to the sound of your soul,**

**Take back the life! you led once before.**

As a took another breath, a sound like something hitting the floor came from some-where in the house—I couldn't really tell where from since I hadn't been listening for it, but it sounded close—followed by someone cursing loudly under their breath. I froze, my ears perked for any other noise before I gingerly placed the guitar next to me on the bed. Without any noise, I tiptoed down the carpeted hallway and looked around the corner. I thought I saw something move in the corner of my eye, but I ignored it since I'd already found the source of the noise; Andrew and Connor were back.

"Why were you guys sneaking around?"

"Why were _you_ sneaking around?" I didn't have an answer to that, so I looked around for the source of the crash. When I found it, I did a double take—it was just a plastic three-foot-tall elephant, but it was on the other side of the room from Connor and Andrew. Looking back at them I noticed there were footprints on the carpet near the door—_all over_ the carpet near the door. Three tracks went over to where Connor and Andrew were, and then the one not leading up to either of the boys jumped behind the couch in large footsteps. Another track wandered over to the elephant, then led wide gaps on their way behind the couch before fading completely halfway.

I already had a pretty good idea of the two hiding behind the couch, but it made me want to bolt. With a foreboding feeling, I asked, "Who's behind the couch?"

"Oh, it's no one," Andrew said with a nervous laugh. "Just, um, your friends Scarlet and Travis." Scarlet and Travis both stood up slowly with Scarlet blushing and looking away and Travis glancing very quickly up at me and then away. I took an involuntary step back, but stopped myself mid-step with my weight on my back foot.

After a moment Travis looked right up into my eyes and said "hey".

"Hey," I said, unable to break eye-contact with him. Then, out of nowhere, Scarlet started bawling like a baby and ran up to me so fast I couldn't even brace myself before she knocked the wind out of me in a more of a tackle than a hug.

"I'm really sorry, Megan! I know it wasn't your fault about the kiss and that you have some stuff going on at home and you had Kendal to worry about and then I abandoned you and the band but after a while I wanted to say I was sorry but I was too embarrassed and why do you smell like Connor?" Her panicked voice turned into confusion at the part about smelling about Connor. She backed away and I gasped and waited for the black spots in my vision to go away while she gave me a once over. Right when I had all of my vision back, she shoved her face into my chest and I'm guessing she tried to inhale before I shoved her off of me.

"Whoawhoawhoawhoa. Whoa! Personal space!"

Yep. She really hadn't changed. No regard for other people and their principals, probably because she doesn't have any herself. I didn't react other than that though, since I'm used to these kinds of things coming from Scarlet. I couldn't help but smile that I had Scarlet back as she ran over and smelled Connor's sleeve. Connor didn't fight, so I'm guessing he was used to her doing things like that.

"Wait, why do you have his clothes on in the first place?" I froze again. Didn't she know what happened between Travis and me? She wasn't acting like it by the way she sent me a confused puppy look.

"Um…"

"Listen, I know my timing wasn't perfect." My head snapped around as Travis started talking and getting closer to me, walking around the couch. "I just had to let it out. I kind of expected you to freak out, and I defiantly didn't expect you to like me back." He stopped in front of me where I was still stuck to. At least I didn't look like I was ready to bolt, courtesy of Scarlet.

"Wait, what?" Scarlet said, confused and sounding a little upset that she'd missed out on something. "Like you back?"

"I knew it wouldn't work out. That's why I had to say it early. I'm really sorry." I could actually see some water in his eyes and I started to tear up as well. It kind of hurt to know that I might've lost Travis and it would've been my fault. I wanted to hug him, but that probably wouldn't have helped his situation about trying to get over me or whatever. It's weird to think that he would've liked me that much. Before I got too tempted, I looked over at my audience of three, one of them looking completely lost.

"Wait, you confessed?"

Damn it, Scarlet. Not the time.

Before I could think of anything, Travis grabbed her arm and tugged her into the guest bedroom I was currently crashing in and close the door behind him.

"Well, that turned out better than expected." My eyes burned in anger as my attention snapped to Andrew and I gave him a hard noogie, which I hadn't done to him since middle school.

"Damn it Andrew, you scared me to death! You have no idea how lucky you are that this actually worked!"

"Owowowowow! Okay, okay!" He shoved me off of him and rubbed his head in annoyance and pain. "It wasn't even my idea, idiot!" I was dumbstruck.

"Really? Who's was it?"

"I could tell it was bothering you," Connor said. He looked a little scared; like he thought I was going to be mad at him, too.

"Oh. Well then thanks."

"Hey!"

"Shut up, Andrew! He probably planned it out better than you would have! I bet you wanted to trick them to come here and Connor made sure they didn't want to kill me or something!"

"That's a lie!"

"No it's not," Connor jumped in, clearly amused. Andrew pouted in defeat.

"I was worried about you, too." I smiled and ruffled his hair, then pulled back before he could swat it away.

"I know. Thanks."

Andrew opened his mouth to say something else before Travis came in holding onto his dazed Twin and putting her on the couch. I went over and sat next to her.

"Oh my god," was all she said. I put my hand on her back.

"I didn't see it coming, either."

"Neither did I," Andrew said.

"I did," Connor piped in. I chose to ignore it and said something before Scarlet could.

"So, Andrew! Did you have something to say or was it your usual crappy comeback?"

One of the muscles in his forehead twitched and I tried not to smile. "I was going to say that I could call Stephanie over so that we could have a group sleepover." Scarlet immediately called the couch and Travis said he thought it was a good idea. I just tried not to burst with happiness.

Everyone was back. Everything was okay. I didn't have to worry about anything anymore other than my unfortunate crush, but I did my best to ignore that and just enjoy this, since I wasn't sure how long I'd have it for and forgot how much I'd missed it.

* * *

**HEY.**

**I think you should know that I wrote the lyrics completely from memory. I know so many of their songs by memory. Also, I wrote this in the car. Got like, fifteen migranes and shit.**

**Just kidding, I got a little dizzy. But enough to roll down the window when we were going seventy miles per hour until my mom threatened to close it on my fingers. So yeah. Pretty dizzy.**

**I don't really know whether you'll be excited about this or not (it still hasn't sunk in that people actually like my writing, I mean seriously. That's crazy. Crazy people.), but the next chapter is going to be this cute extra chapter of the sleepover. Well, no. Technically Megan and Connor bonding is important to the story, so I guess it's important. But it's on the border. And JUST FOR YOU - that's right, only you. I see you reading this - I'll chose not to fit in the major cliffhanger. So it's an extra, but not really. And then the chapter after will have a MAJOR PLOT TWIST that will make you guys be like "WAAA I WANNA KNOW WHAT HAPPENS" and I'll be like "SHUDDUP THIS IS IMPORTANT IT HAS TO BE DRAWN OUT" because - I feel like I should tell you - this is going to be the last major problem. THAT IS RIGHT, THE CLIMAX IS COMING. But after the climax is the falling resolution, and then the end. Sadface. But I started another story, so after I've finished the two I'm doing right now I'll have no reason to wait six months before writing. Oh yeah, something else that I've been meaning to tell you - I found this story when I was searching Soul X Maka and most follows, and this girl had like twelve chapters so I was like "whoa so many followers!" but then in the bold print she was like apologizing for not updating for a full year. I was like, that is not an accident! Bitch! And each one was like a cliffhanger and she was a really good writer and she didn't even try, it was a waste. I still ended up following her, though.**

**Shows what I know. Don't follow my example, kay? Kay.**

**As if this ending wasn't long enough, something else: ****Meeeeeee**** (guest) sent me a review asking what my favorite stories and authors were. And then they said - not kidding this is an actual quote - "U r MY favorite so far, so I would think your favorite story\auhor would be awesome too..." Then at the bottom it says ****XxMOLLYxX**** so yeah. Sup, Molly. Well, now I can call you something other than "Meeeeeee".**

**For a story I would recommend Soul Fire and Black Widow which is an AMAZING story and it's complete so you don't have to wait or anything. The author is a guy, and I _really_ like his style. I haven't checked out his other stories yet, which I guess I should. :/ Another story could be... *checks list* Lovestruck, Maybe? And for an author... idek. I've discovered video games for like the tenth time in my life and am obsessed _again_ and really haven't even been reading for a while now. My inbox in 75 new messages. Granted, like 5 of them are youtube things but everything else isn't. But if I had to pick one it would be Emma-Kate9885. I feel weird saying the Lovestruck and the author because Emma-whatever wrote that and she follows me and I don't want other people to be offended or something that follow me so please don't kill me and follow Emma Kate imassumingthat'shername if you don't already thisisreallylongokaybye.**


	16. Chapter 16: Postcards and Polaroids

**Ohmilord.**

**Longest.**

**Chapter.**

**Ever.**

**Over 5,000 words without the bold print and ten pages on microsoft word.**

**I hope you know how long I worked on this. A LONG FREAKING TIME. And then I really wanted it done, so I worked on it from ten to two last night and ten to now (3:36).**

**So there you go. I did that instead of review for my science EOC, not like I was going to since it wouldn't really make a difference.**

***FLUFF ALERT***

**Okay, so people have been asking for fluff for a long time and I realized how I'd only had fluff in like three chapters, so here you are! Read and enjoy and review. PLEASE REVIEW I want to know if you think I'm advancing them at a realistic pace kay? Kay. Oh yeah, and I finally make a reference from the anime/manga! Woohoo!**

* * *

To be honest, when "never have I ever" was suggested by Scarlet later that night and immediately backed up by Andrew, then Stephanie, then Travis, I was celebrating a little inside. I mean, this just gave me so many opportunities to learn things about Connor!

Okay, that sounds selfish. I was supposed to be celebrating having my group back, my _entire _group. But the first thing I thought about was Connor. I couldn't help it, okay?! They're called hormones, in case you were wondering.

"Who wants to go first?" Scarlet was a little too perky for me to be comfortable. "Connor! How about you?"

"Hmm…" God, he's so adorable when he's concentrating. Then he broke out into a smile that was so attractive I felt like I might disintegrate in the path of so much raw power. "Never have I ever done the Macarena in the middle of the night in only my boxers."

"That's unfair and you know it!" Andrew argued, pouting, although explained no further reasons as he stuck out his pinky finger. Stephanie fought to keep in her laugh but I didn't even try, and neither did Connor, Travis, or Scarlet.

"My turn!" Scarlet said who, of course, was sitting right next to Connor. I felt an inexcusable twinge of… anger, I think. Not even jealousy, I was just mad at her for being so clingy and so obvious. It also bothered me that I was completely opposite from him in the circle.

Since when have I been so emotional? It's like since I admitted to myself that I liked Connor this dam opened up somewhere. I hated not being in control, or at least not being completely overtaken by emotions at every little thing.

"Okay, let's see… never have I ever had sex."

There was complete silence as Stephanie and Andrew both lifted their finger—or, in Andrew's case, another finger. They both blushed the whole time and I was a little shocked they both came out and said it, especially Andrew. I mean, at least Stephanie is honest.

"Okay, next person," Scarlet said, trying to contain her giggles. To her left was Andrew. After that it was me, then Stephanie, then Travis. So it was Andrew's turn.

"Let's see…" He took a few seconds to think about what he was going to say. His face lit up when he thought of something. "Never have I ever had my period."

All the girls lifted one of their fingers, mine in particular being the middle one, aimed in Andrew's direction, of course. Connor laughed, at which I couldn't completely hide a smile at my own joke. Then Scarlet joined in and it was wiped completely from my face as I replaced it with my thumb.

I thought for a moment as I tried to come up with something. It should be something that will get most people, but it still has to be good, or at least embarrassing like Connor's "never have I ever".

"Never have I ever… never have I ever… hm." This is harder than it looks. I ditched the embarrassing concept. "Never have I ever drunk a whole bottle of beer?"

"Wow, not even one? We've got a lightweight over here!" I noticed that Andrew and everyone else had abandoned their finger-counting.

"Shut up, I am not a lightweight."

"Can you drink more than me?" He teasingly waved his beer in my face. I had to push it away from my face before answering.

"No." Even I wasn't stupid enough to go up against this idiot.

He was all smiles now, and it annoyed me. "Who wants to play truth or dare?" he asked the crowd. Scarlet jumped in along with Stephanie, which kind of surprised me. Connor and Travis were smiling, so I forgave him because everyone was having a good time. Plus, seeing Connor smiling brought up my mood.

"Megan." Andrew stretched my name out like he was enjoying testing my patience. "Truth or dare?"

My eyes narrowed as I realized what he was doing—if I said truth he'd call me a pussy and if I said dare I'd be downing at least one beer. "Dare," I finally said.

His smile told me I'd given him exactly what he'd wanted. "Every time it's your turn you have to drink half of a beer bottle."

I could see where this was going.

"Quarter," I countered.

"Third," he responded, unblinking and quick. I pouted in what was obviously stubborn defeat. He smiled in what was obviously sadistic satisfaction. "Your turn," he added.

Just to be rude, I finished off his beer which was around two-thirds emptied already. Unfortunately, this seemed to have no effect on his mood, and I wondered if he'd spiked his drink or something.

I looked around the circle to pick someone before resting on Stephanie and asked her the famous question, "Truth or dare?"

"Truth," she immediately responded.

I took a moment to think for one. It would be fun to embarrass her about her sex life, mostly that she had one with Andrew, but I didn't want to accidentally ruin anyone's night. I settled for something a little more subtle. "How often to you spend the night at Andrew's without telling us?" She blushed immediately, but it wasn't that serious.

"Three, sometimes four times a week." It was no more than what I'd expected, but I was still a little surprised. I mean really, how long had they been together? A few weeks? A month? I can't even remember. The past few days have felt like life times.

"Go, Stephanie."

"Umm…" She looked around the circle before her eyes rested on Scarlet. "Scarlet, truth or dare?"

"Truth," she immediately responded.

"Um, okay…" Stephanie obviously hadn't planned ahead of time. "Would you rather have the My Little Pony theme song play in the background for a month or not be able to taste food for… three weeks?"

"Food, defiantly." I could tell she was disappointed by the question.

Connor scanned the circle without anyone having to ask him to. When his eyes swept over mine our gazes met for a second and my heart sped up and my breathing quickened slightly before the moment was even over, and even after that I was a little jumpy.

"Travis." The unasked question hung in the air before Travis realized why everyone was looking at him.

"Oh. Um, dare."

"I dare you to let Scarlet put makeup on you."

"Oh no, really?!" I never knew Connor had such good dares. I wondered if he could keep it up or not. "Can I wipe it off?!"

"No if it's not that noticeable, yes if it is."

"Oh, don't worry," Scarlet cooed. "It'll be noticeable." We decided that Scarlet would start after she finished her turn. She looked straight at me like she'd been planning something.

"Megan, truth… or… dare?" She pulled out the lines dramatically. I figured I'd get a truth over with so that no one could say I only did dare like they always do.

She squealed when I announced that I'd be doing truth. "Okay, okay. If you had two wishes that would expire after 24 hours, what would they be?"

"Did you find this online?" She usually sucks with truths _and_ dares.

She was unruffled. "Maybe."

"Uh, okay. That the second wish would last forever and I had enough money to afford my own apartment."

"Hey! That's cheating!"

"Yeah, I know." When her angry expression didn't falter, I sighed and thought harder. "I don't know. Maybe… I don't know." My expression brightened as I thought of something. "Ooh, I know! I would wish that I would be able to breakdance ad skateboard really well." Personally I thought my answer was awesome, but Scarlet did not agree, or at least judging by her pout.

"Aww, not fair, not fair!" Okay, now she just sounded like a kid. "Make it more personal!"

"More personal? Like what?" I already didn't like where this was going.

"You know, like your love life, guilty pleasures, maybe a mix in-between…" Luckily I looked away before she could wiggle her eyebrows at me.

"Okay, one, I don't have a love life, and two, my only guilty pleasure has nothing to do with what you're thinking about." Thank God she left it at that.

"Truth or dare?" I realized all eyes were on me and saw that Andrew was looking right at me. _Well, aren't I popular, _I thought before responding with "dare".

"I dare you and Conner to go over to the new neighbors and pretend to be a couple." I really wasn't seeing the bad part here.

"What do we have to do?" Connor asked. I realized this was probably going to be that bad part.

"Ask them if they've seen you guys' porn camera anywhere and say it was really special to you."

Connor and I immediately broke out into protest before the door opened behind us and we all turned to see Andrew's mom. Everyone respectfully chimed out with a "Welcome home, Ms. Lara." [A/N: Idk if I made her name already but I don't want to check so her name is Lara.] Her hands were full of grocery bags to the tipping point and I rushed over to help her at the same moment Connor did.

She let out a breath as her posture straightened before she said, "Thank you, Megan. Thank you, Connor." I think both of us rushed up because we were eager to leave the conversation we'd been having before.

Everyone else followed Connor, Lara, and I to the kitchen due to the promise of chips and soda. Apparently Lara had been told about the sleepover because she was stocked. I was licking my lips as I reached for a king-sized milk-chocolate Hershy's bar when Andrew swiped it out from under my hand.

"Hey!" I watched as he took the bottle of Mountain Dew from Connor and tried swiping for it before he help it up high enough that there was no point in trying to jump for it.

"Nope. You two have to do the dare first."

"Dude, give me back my chocolate." When even my glare didn't make him falter I realized he had a strange glint in his eye and that Scarlet was being strangely silent. Thankfully Stephanie and Travis were talking about something so that I didn't have the whole audience.

"Can we at least do something as… not-disgusting?" I realized that Lara was listening in when Connor didn't provide specifics.

"Yeah, can't we act like a homeless couple or something?" I really wanted to say the word "couple". Unfortunately, Ms. Lara caught up on that.

"Ooh, couple?" It even sounds good coming out of the mouth of a mom. "Sweetie, you don't have to do that stupid porn camera thing. That homeless thing is a good idea, though."

"Wait, you heard?"

"Oh, sweetie, he's been using that one forever."

"Well aren't you original."

"Shut up, tiny-tits!"

A muscle in my forehead twitched before I reached for the thickest book on the counter and brought the spine down on his head.

If he's going to bring back old hobbies, so will I. However, I've got the advantage; I'm hardly tiny-tits anymore but braining someone with a thick book will always hurt.

I blushed as I wrapped my hand around Connor's wrist and lead him out of the house. I expected to have to tug him out, but one pull and he was walking just as fast as I was.

I pushed open the door and started walking on the street. I'd just let go of his wrist when he grabbed my hand. I looked up at him, about to ask what he was doing, but my expression must've asked for me because he answered before I could say anything.

"We're a couple, right?" The way he said it-leaving out the "pretending to be" or "acting as", left out purposely or not-made my stomach start to twist. My hand felt exceedingly warm, and my face as well.

"What are we going to say?"

"Well, since I don't want them to invite us inside to spend the night or something, I was thinking we could ask for ice cubes or something. As a homeless couple, of course."

The neighbors were only a couple of houses away, and luckily is was just a girl and her husband, both probably in their early thirties. When we walked up the steps and reached the door I was glad the lights were still on at ten thirty at night. I rang the doorbell and stood with a straight back. Something popped into my mind and I decided to go for it, seeing as I wouldn't get another chance like this.

"Connor, truth or dare?"

He looked at my face while he decided and didn't look away when he answered. "Truth."

"That night at your house…" I defiantly had his attention. I just had to spit it out before the door opened. I tried looking him in the face, but I couldn't. "Were you stroking my hair, or was that a dream?"

"It was real." Wow. I didn't expect him to answer so fast. I looked at him for a moment, the same moment that footsteps started walking on what sounded like steps.

"I'm coming!" a female voice called. Connor suddenly pulled me in so that my back was pressed against his chest. I wouldn't have fought, but if I'd wanted to I wouldn't have had enough time, anyways-the door opened only a few moments afterwards, and in those moments I actually shrunk into him a little bit, hoping he didn't notice even though the chuckle in my ear said otherwise.

The walking stopped at the door even though the door didn't open. There was a square on the door that she opened from the inside to look at us, and the first thing I noticed was that she was wearing glasses and a messy ponytail made up of dark, silky chestnut hair.

"Who are you and why are you here so late?" I was about to say homeless couple when she cut me off.

"Wait, I know you! You're Megan, right? I used to go to Soul Tunes all the time, but then I just got so busy and…" She seemed really flustered.

"Come in, come in!" Uh, okay.

She sat us down at the counter in her kitchen and immediately introduced herself. "My name is Julia and my husband is sleeping, so try not to be too loud, okay?" When I could see all of her, I noticed she was defiantly modest in her sweatpants and large tee shirt. She didn't even give us a chance to breathe before she started asking questions.

"So are you two really going out and is your name Megan or Jasmine?"

"My name is Megan. Jasmine was just so that the people at my school wouldn't recognize me."

"So are you going out?"

"Umm…" I didn't want to say no, but I wasn't sure how Connor would feel if I said yes.

"Jasmine and Connor are publicly dating but Megan and Connor are secretly dating." My eyes widened and I stiffened at his response. I turned to look at him and he just winked.

What?

Julia seemed to get this, being as a sly smile made it's way up on her lips. Supposedly satisfied with her questions, she asked what we needed.

"It was a dare," I said before Connor could in case he said anything else I wasn't expecting. "We were supposed to pretend to be a homeless couple."

"Well, how about I give you cookies and we call it a night?" I could live with that.

Giving us both sugar cookies, she pushed us out the door with that same smile on her face and knowing look in her eye. To be completely honest, I was a little scared of her.

We walked three houses in silence until there was only one more to walk by before we would get to Andrew's house.

"Hey Megan, truth or dare?"

"Truth," I said slowly, wondering what he was doing.

"Back at my house…" Oh, God. "Did I really kiss you, or was that a dream?"

My face flooded and I bowed my head so that my hair was covering my face. I kept walking until Connor walked in front of me so that I had to stop and pulled up my chin so that I had to look at him. He smirked, satisfied with my blushing state.

"So that's a yes then."

I managed to break eye contact with him, although it seemed impossible, but then I didn't know where to look. How come he was always making me feel embarrassed and not the other way around? How does he make me want him so much? Is he just playing around or does he have feelings, too?

"What are you thinking?" I shivered as his breath hit my ear and I realized he was leaning over and playing with my hair. My stomach felt like it was melting and my chest felt heavy.

"Um, I was just…" I lost my train of thought as his stormy eyes collided with mine a mere six inches away. Then five, then four, then none as he rested his forehead on mine.

"Mm-hmm?" I realized he was pushing me to go on.

"I was thinking about… why…" I drew a blank and pushed him away, breaking eye contact and blushing even more than before. "You make it hard to remember when you do that."

He laughed-not chuckled, actually laughed, a happy one. "That's fair enough." He gave me my space the rest of the way to Andrew's house, but he was looking at me the whole time.

"Can you stop that? You're making me self-conscious." With a half-smile he looked in front of him and not next to him.

When we got inside everyone was on the couch watching a movie-well, except for Scarlet, who was passed out on the ground.

"Why's Scarlet on the floor?"

"Travis dared her to drink a triple-shot expresso." I nodded in understanding, but Connor was lost.

"What?"

"Scarlet reacts to caffeine as if it were alcohol, maybe even a little stronger," Travis answered. "It's another thing we don't have in common."

"Wait, you guys kept going?"

"You were taking too long."

"Yeah, and Ms. Lara wouldn't let us follow you, so we decided to put in a movie. Everyone was out of good dares anyways."

Andrew appeared in front of me with a beer. "Drink up, you missed two rounds." His smile was a little too big for me.

"Did you spike this?" He just turned around without answering. He was probably trying to mess with me, so I cautiously took a sip and it tasted normal, so I drank two thirds of it. There. I've officially had one beer.

Andrew was still smiling and now I was nervous and started wondering if he really did spike it.

"Come on," Connor urged as he pulled me along by my elbow. I was sitting in the middle of the couch with Travis and Connor on either side, but with Connor sitting down so that he was right next to me and Travis a foot or so away.

"Hey," I said as I leaned over and nudged Travis' arm. "Where's your makeup?"

He smiled like he was relieved I hadn't seen it. "Washed off."

"Too bad. I was looking forward to seeing how pretty a guy you are." But seriously, he is feminine for a guy, even if he is tall.

Suddenly these black dots started to form in my vision until I could barely see anything before they disappeared again. No one seemed to have noticed, but I was resting with my head on Connor's shoulder. I was going to get up when I felt like I was made out of solid steel and didn't have the strength to move my own limbs. I realized it was in the middle of the movie, not the commercials, and that Connor's arm was around my shoulders. My eyelids fluttered close even as I fought to keep them open and I fell asleep so fast that I almost didn't get to realize that Andrew really _had_ spiked my drink.

I woke up in the middle of the night sprawled across the couch, being the only one on it. It was really dark and I realized that all of the lights were off except some little ones like the red light at the bottom of the TV to show that it was off but still had power. When I heard some snoring I realized that Scarlet was the only person here with me, still sprawled across the ground but with a blanket over her. I'd only been in that conscious state for a few moments before my head got foggy and I teetered when I sat up. My vision was curved and when I tried to put my foot down somewhere it was to the left of where I wanted it to go.

And then I realized I was drunk.

I think I made some sound of protest because whoever had apparently been in the kitchen came rushing over.

"Megan? Are you okay?" Even drunk I knew that was Connor's voice and I slowly reached out to grab his hand, making sure it wouldn't do the same thing as my foot. I smiled when I got a hold and tugged his down on the couch next to me.

"Whoa," he breathed as I straddled him with my back to Scarlet. I was close enough so that I could see his eyes, and I looked right into them.

"I am going to kiss you," I deadpanned.

"What? No, you can't!"

My heart sunk to the floor and my arms went slack, still wrapped around his shoulders.

"You don't want to kiss me?" Even I could catch the slur to my voice.

"No, I do, it's just that you-"

I didn't give him a chance to continue, because hearing him say those words made me so happy that… well, I kissed him.

Pressing my lips to his, electricity was sent through my body, but I wanted more, so I pushed his mouth open with my own and shoved my tongue in. Putting my hands on the back of his neck, I pulled him closer as I tilted my head more.

He started to struggle, and although I was disappointed I settled on his ear instead of his mouth.

"Megan… I can't… you're… drunk…" He was out of breath and it sounded like he was having trouble thinking. I didn't stop until he pulled me so that I was in front of him and a good foot or two away from his face. Looking at his lips I whimpered, wanting to kiss him again _soooo _badly right then. However, I knew there was no point in fighting him, so I sat down on him and crossed my arms, pouting.

"Yeah, so?"

"So, would you do this is you were sober?"

"I would want to."

"Would you do this if I were Travis?"

"No. Can I please kiss you again?"

"Megan, you're drunk!" I started to get mad that he thought it was such a big deal, but I stopped when he looked down at me and then at the wall behind me, blushing. God, he's so cute when he blushes.

"And… you also don't have a bra on." I looked down at my clothes, a white tank top and some sleeping shorts that must belong to Stephanie, who also must have changed me.

I looked back up at him with a seductive smile and said, "Thank you for noticing."

I needed to distract him so that I could kiss him again. "Hey Connor, truth or dare?"

"Truth." I was a little disappointed he'd realized I could dare him to let me kiss him.

"Why did you say I was your girlfriend at the karaoke place?"

He seemed a little uncomfortable at my question, or maybe it was just that I was currently straddling him and had kissed him a little desperately a few moments ago.

"Well, all the guys were looking at you weird, and I, um…" He cleared his throat after his gaze traveled down to my chest again and he looked at something behind me. I smiled at his wandering gaze even though he couldn't see it. His gaze traveled back to mine, which resembled a cat about to pounce. "You're making it hard to think."

"I know."

And then I was in for the kill.

This time he didn't even fight it. For a few moments I just pushed his tongue around uselessly, but then he put his hands on my lower back and pulled me closer, kissing me back. I made a point to press my chest against his and felt his face heat up a little, but he didn't stop and neither did I. Eventually Connor even won dominance and put his tongue in my mouth, which I smiled at. What surprised me was when he pulled away and then pushed me so that I was lying down on the couch, and then he was hovering over me with his face a few inches away.

"I really shouldn't be doing this," he muttered under his breath, just looking at me.

"But you want to, right?" When that wasn't enough, I added something else on. "_I_ want you to."

That was enough of an invitation for him. He lunged for my neck and I gasped when his hand started tracing the part of my left breast that was exposed above the tank top with his right hand.

"Sorry," he muttered, stopping his hand but not the sucking on my neck. I reached for his hand and guided it back to where it was.

"No, that's okay," I said breathlessly. I moaned, not able to hold it in anymore, gripped his white-blonde hair in my hands, and arched my back even though I was trying not to so that I was pressed onto him. This seemed to get some sot of reaction from him and he moved back up to my mouth, his right hand still tracing designs and slowly moving farther down, his kisses more frantic than before.

I wanted to keep going, but I was getting really heavy again. This time I was the one who pulled away and Connor the one that pouted. He wasn't the only one that was disappointed, though.

"My limbs are getting really heavy again. I think I need to stop."

He hesitated but got up from the couch. Since my head was on the opposite side my pillow was on (and since I wanted an excuse to touch him) I asked him if he could pick me up and move me back. Still blushing, he scooped me up bridal-style and placed me back down. With the little remaining strength I had, I pulled him down and gave him a quick peck on the lips, then watched as he continued blushing and picked up my blanket which had gotten on the ground somehow in the middle of our make-out session. No sooner had Connor put the blanket halfway-on me that my eyes had closed and I was asleep.

That night I had a dream about Connor that we were making out in his room. He pushed me onto his bed and started taking off my shirt and while I was looking over his shoulder I noticed Scarlet watching from the closet but didn't stop anyways and just tugged Connor's shirt off from his head. While I sucked on his ear I noticed that she was gone and started going all out with him. It was getting dangerously close to a wet dream when someone tapped my shoulder out of the dream and woke me up.

"Wha-" I was cut off by a major throbbing in my forehead. I cursed loudly and gripped my forehead before hiding under the covers because everything was so bright.

"Megan, are you okay, honey?"

"Sorry for saying that Ms. Lara, but Andrew spiked my drink and I think I have a hangover."

She sighed. "What am I going to do with that boy? His father always knew exactly what he had to beat into his head, but sometimes I wonder if I'm on the wrong track entirely. You know, for a while I thought he had a crush on you, but it turns out he just loves you as a sister and Stephanie as… well, someone just as close, but definitely not a sister." I could agree with that.

I felt rude for not taking my head out from under the covers, but the lights hurt. A lot. I realized it was really quiet for this house.

"Where is everyone?"

"Oh, I sent them to the P.O. box."

"P.O. box?"

"Yep. Andrew ran his motorcycle into our mailbox and now we have a P.O. box until it's fixed. He'll be going to yours, too. I was a little surprised when he told me about it, but I guess it makes sense if you don't want your dad to read it." Yeah, I was tired of him seeing them before I did or not knowing whether he took it or not, even though he eventually stopped looking in the mail, so I got a P.O. box and somehow she found out about it, wether it was me desperately sending the cards back to the return address (even though mom moves around so much that it's practically useless) or some outside source.

"I'll get you a pill for that hangover, honey." I heard her shuffle off and wondered what time it was but was in no way about to get up.

After I'd swallowed a pill and taken the coldest shower in history, I took the clothes I'd been wearing yesterday and put them on. Everything was a little bright, but it wasn't anything a pair of sunglasses couldn't handle, and my headache wasn't a migraine anymore, so that was good. I told Ms. Lara that I was going to go get some of my clothes from home, but then she stopped me and said that we were going to the beach that day, anyways.

In the middle of one of our arguments (she was trying to get me to wear a bikini again) the door opened and we heard the voice of Andrew yelling for me.

I rushed into the room, took the postcard from Andrew's hands, and punched the side of his head.

"Ow! What was that for?!"

"You spiked my drink, you idiot!"

He was ranting about how I should know better than to hit a God, especially when one did me a favor, but I was too busy reign the postcard.

Because it actually had a _message _on it, not just her signature.

* * *

Megan,

I'm finally keeping that promise on tuesday,

but with two friends. I hope you don't mind, they

helped me find your new PO box.

Love,

Elizabeth

* * *

I leaped into Andrew's arms and started crying.

Oh my God.

She's coming back.

Mom is coming back home.

* * *

**Did anyone else catch the title reference? If you do I respect you greatly and you should tell me. It's the name of a song that is like one of my faves. So yeah. Stuck in sunglasses just so it would make sense.**

**You know I wonder how much free time people would have to actually read this giant page of text. A lot. I think reading it would take like half an hour, idk. Also, question for the audience - should I update the next chapter for Sigh or not? Probably not. Yeah, I won't. **

**DIFFERENT QUESTION.**

**Should I continue with my story MSWM or no? I'm not sure if anyone's really reading it and if no one likes it then I could drop it and move on to Sigh. PM me or review about it please!**

**From now on all my stories will be dedicated to Kristina. I know she wouldn't have liked it if I'd dropped off the face of the Earth like I did.**


	17. Chapter 17: Found

**Okay, so I'm sorry if this chapter bores you, but I like it and it's kind of symbolic to me.**

**I should have updated yesterday because it was almost done but I'm marathoning Soul Eater (up to season three, episode 10) and I also found some other animes and I'm watching all of them at one time and yeah it was too tempting. Oh yeah guess what! God, you suck at guessing. Why would I do that, that's disgusting. I'm going to cosplay as Soul for halloween! Yeah! I found this jacket just like the one in the first two seasons of the show and I'm not going to tell you where because there's not that many left and I'm going to save up for it.**

**OH MY GOD guess what never mind you suck at guessing okay so I was playing Final Fantasy 13 part 2 for the PS3 (already played the first part except I got stuck on one of the last boss levels) and Serah Farron the main character sounds like Maka at some parts where she's like "Noel!" and she sounds like she does when her voice cracks and she's yelling "Soul" so yeah. That sounds kind of weird but okay. And I thought it wasn't but I looked it up because I was pretty sure and yeah it happened. Zuko also voices a bunch of side characters that you randomly talk to, he just uses different voices. And I looked up the voice actor for Soul, yeah he's not that cute kind of a disappointment. However, Black Star is voices by a girl names Brittney and she's pretty so it's all OH-KAY. God, calm down, it's not that important, you spaz.**

* * *

While everyone else set up their equipment in Andrew's garage, I realized just how long it had been since we'd practiced. I mean, yeah, everyone practices at home, but Scarlet doesn't practice as much as everyone else and sometimes she needed to be pushed so that she doesn't get on only knowing half of the song.

While everyone else was setting up I tried not to think about my mom and her two friends because I'd been doing that for a long time. I mean, after all those years she's just… coming back? I'd thought that I'd realized that I wouldn't ever see her again, but based off of my reaction some part of me had been holding onto the hope. I kept glancing over at Connor, wondering if I'd mentioned my mom back at his place or if he even remembered half of the conversation. To me it felt as if I could remember everything that he said but when I had been talking everything was a blur, like after you read a whole series and all the events are blurred together.

In my search for something else I realized that I had a problem, and a big one—I'd been thinking about the girl Julia that we got dared to go to last night and about how she'd asked whether I was Megan or Jasmine. I realized that two different groups of people knew me differently and I couldn't be sure about just what would happen if those groups came together. Should we say Jasmine and the Burnouts? What if two people talk and some things get said that should be left alone? Could we somehow get the regulars in on it, or would we have to just… stop?

No. I said that I didn't want them messing with my life they didn't know about, and stopping altogether would definitely be letting them do just that.

I sighed and leaned heavily against the wall, watching the band set up but also watching right through them. I halfheartedly tried to think about the song, but gave up on it. I'd been surprised when I found out that there had been a cover for that specific song, but grateful.

"Hey, how come you never scream in your songs?"

I turned to find Connor looking at me as if he was truly interested in what I was about to say.

"I don't know. I used to just not feel right, but now it doesn't bother me."

"Then why don't you?"

"Well…" I hesitated, realizing he was getting at something. "Because I don't think the audience would like it."

"Exactly." I gave him a weird look as he went on. "What if we scared away everyone from the school that would try to see you?"

"How would they even know I was there? It's not like anyone told them." I felt like a bit of a hypocrite after my pessimistic thoughts earlier, but I didn't want to accept anything unless someone shoved the facts into my face.

"I'm not sure if you remember him, but there's this guy that always follows me to Soul Tunes. You know, the kid that's always drooling over you." I knew who he was talking about, and I got his point. "He's asked me if you'd been Jasmine this whole time, and I just said that you didn't want perverts to know your real name. Which I told him was Jasmine."

"I see your point, and I think that would be a good idea." Most of the people probably hate songs that scream, but I was worried that Megan's audience would hate it too. Still, I had no better idea. "So what song should I sing? I don't want one that's… too intense." Putting aside what I said earlier, I still want the song to mostly have lyrics you sing, not scream.

He smiled at me. "I'll tell you later," he said. I didn't know what he meant before I realized they were a few seconds away from being set up. When my eyes met Scarlet's she smiled and waved before shyly turning back to the plugs on her keyboard, even though I could tell she was done. I wondered what was up as I positioned myself at the mic.

We practiced so long that Stephanie's hands started to bleed and Andrew was sweating from moving around so much. Even my throat hurt, which never happened, even after singing at Soul Tunes for most of the week.

"Wow. You guys are out of shape."

"Thanks," I said, trying not to pant. Connor was right, though. How many weeks has it been? Over a month? We just haven't needed to, but when we were all conveniently placed at Andrew's house we just figured we'd do it.

"Here." Turning around, I snatched the water bottle Connor was offering me from him and chugged it down as he gave one to everyone else. I was still thirsty, so I ran over to the cooler and chugged another. After that I felt better, but still sipped on a separate one; I hadn't realized how thirsty I was until I had a sip of the water Connor handed me.

Everyone else was taking five, so I made my way over to Scarlet and plunked down next to her on a bench pressed to the wall.

"Hey," I said, taking another sip.

"Hey."

I gave her weird look that she didn't see. Something was definitely up.

"What's up?"

"Nothing much."

"Okay, rephrase: what's wrong?"

"You know me too well," she sighed. I couldn't decide whether she thought that was a bad thing or not, but it wasn't that hard to see that she was acting differently—she hadn't clung to Connor at all ever since we did that dare, and I know Stephanie had noticed by the worried looks she kept sending us as we talked.

I sat there until Scarlet said something. It looked like she was trying to figure out how to put the words together so that they would make sense.

"It's just that…" I waited some more as she stumbled on her words. I couldn't remember the last time I saw her like this. "You and Connor are close right?" She went on before I could think about what she was getting at. "Well, Connor and I aren't. I can tell you like him, and I think he likes you. So I just decided it would be best if I stopped."

I stared at her, my mouth probably open, and then looked around to see if anyone had heard.

"What, are you crazy?! Connor does _not_ like me," I hissed.

"But you like him, right?" she said, just as loudly. I felt the need to slap my hand over her mouth, then realized how selfish that must have sounded after what she told me.

"Listen, just because I like a guy doesn't mean you can't like him, too. That's not fair to you or him."

"But it is," she said, panic and desperation in her face as she finally turned to me. "I can tell he doesn't want me to make any more moves on him. He doesn't push me away anymore, so for a while I thought I was getting him to warm up to me, but then I realized he was only warming up to _you_. Every time he was nice to me or did something for me it was because I was a friend, not… _more_." She didn't need to exaggerate any further.

I wish I could say that I knew what to say, but I had no idea. I'd never really liked anyone before now and had no idea what it felt like to be her right then. All I could do was hope that she knew I would always be there for her.

"At first I just thought he was hot, but then I realized he was a good guy and I got in too deep before I even realized what I was doing and now here I am." Okay, that made me feel really bad for her. I stood up and yelled "listen up" to get everyone's attention.

"I'm done practicing. I say we go to the beach."

Andrew blinked at me before he said anything. "You know none of our one pieces fit you anymore, right?"

A muscle twitched in my forehead as I thought back to Andrew's mother. "Lara made that perfectly clear yesterday."

"But you hate bikinis," Scarlet said as everyone else made their way out. I guessed that they were all done with practicing, too.

"Yeah, I do." I shivered just thinking about it. I mean, having so much skin exposed at one time and feeling as if the whole thing could fall off at any time. I remember putting it on once, looking at my reflection, and absolutely refusing to wear it after I got my clothes back on. Andrew wouldn't stop teasing me about it, but other than my constant blush at the beach I was really glad that I hadn't worn it, especially looking at all the other girls strutting around the beach.

When we walked back into the room Ms. Lara jumped me and shoved a yellow bikini in my face.

"I heard you were going to the beach in a bikini! Put it on, we're leaving right now!" She ran off, leaving me and Scarlet there with no response.

"Hey, Stephanie, do you have some clothes I could use as a cover up?" I asked as I walked in. All the boys stared at the bikini as Stephanie walked over and I stomped over there and waved it in their faces.

"If it's that mesmerizing then why don't you guys wear it to the beach?"

"Sorry, Megan," Travis said blushing and averting his gaze. "I just never thought you'd ever wear one." I decided that was fair enough and glared at Andrew who was trying not to laugh.

"MEGAN CHOP!"

I stared at the indent I'd made in his hand and looking questioningly at the book that had made its way into my hands before shrugging and tossing it on the coffee table on the way out. I wondered why I'd ever stopped using a book as a weapon; it's so convenient.

"What if the top falls off into the water?" I gasped. "What if the _bottom _falls into the water?"

Stephanie looked nervous as she tried to calm me down. "Well, I'll admit that it happens, but don't worry. I'm sure that it won't happen to you." That didn't help me calm down, and even Scarlet realized that Stephanie's argument was weak.

"What's the point of these things anyways? They don't make you swim faster they aren't convenient unless you need to use the bathroom all they do is fall off and make your body either look stunning or horrible there is no in between and EVERYONE BUT ME LOOKS GREAT IN THEM!"

"Listen, you said you'd do it. Sort of announced it, really. Do you want Andrew to make fun of you for another month?" She didn't let me answer.

"Besides," she continued as she pushed me out the bathroom door. "You've got nothing to worry about until you need to take off your cover-up clothes. So basically don't think about it until you have to. Like strapping in for a roller coaster." Somehow that didn't seem like a saying to live by.

Scarlet and I were arguing as she pushed me into the kitchen where the boys were impatiently waiting for us. Ms. Lara smothered me before I even realized she was there.

"Oh, in some ways you're still so innocent," she purred as she pressed her cheek against mine and picked me up from the floor.

She had no idea how hard this was for me. She looked completely stunning in a bikini and I saw every guy at the beach drooling over her every time we went. She either didn't notice or didn't care because she didn't do anything about it.

It felt like no time at all until I was shoved in the van and we were speeding our way to the beach forty five minutes away. At first I convinced myself that I shouldn't worry or tried not to think about it like Scarlet suggested but as we got closer it got harder and harder to not think about it. It wasn't even thoughts that made me not want to. I would just think about going out there wearing something like a bikini and I would just feel so uneasy and vulnerable.

But, of course, the car didn't stop, and too soon we found ourselves at the beach. I stepped out with ease, but wondered if I would ever go swimming, or if I would ever take off my cover-ups. I felt very nervous and self-conscious as Scarlet and Travis ran each other over trying to get to the ocean. The self-consciousness showed as I constantly tugged my shirt down so that it almost went past the edge of Stephanie's shorts I was wearing. Her hips were wider than mine, so they were a little loose, but that's not what I was worrying about.

"Come on, it's not like everyone is at the beach to see what you look like," Stephanie urged. I looked around, and realized that not a single pair of eyes was trained in my direction.

"What if I have a farmer's tan?"

"No one cares," she persisted. I felt myself starting to give. The ocean did look really clear and the water was really tempting versus the hot sand and the dry breeze.

"Ehhhhh," I groaned as she started tugging me to the shore, having second thoughts that I was about to argue for.

"What's a'matter, Megan? Scared of the ocean?" Andrew's voice was distinct as he called me all the way from the ocean. He had a giant smile on his face before Scarlet tackled him from behind and sent him face planting into the water that, luckily, wasn't shallow.

"You did this to make Scarlet feel better, right?" I looked in surprise at Stephanie who had her usual kind smile on her face. "So, just think about that when you jump in." I thought about that as she kept walking. I guess she had a point, but… just how did she find that out? Stephanie had always been a sort of mind reader, but she surprised me every time. I thought no one had been paying attention. I distinctly remembered Stephanie sending worried glances, but that was it.

Finally I tore off my shirt, ripped off my pants, and sprinted across the blistering sand towards the beach all while Andrew's back was turned and he was yelling at Scarlet. She kept constantly interrupting him by splashing water in his face. My blush got fiercer the whole time I was running to the water. I dived behind Stephanie and almost toppled her over, catching everyone's attention.

"Don't stare at me!" I shrieked, extremely uncomfortable. I had no idea how girls hadn't died from embarrassment from wearing these, because it certainly felt like I might. And what's worse what that I knew that when they saw me they'd think it didn't matter and wonder why it was such a big deal.

"Shy much?" He was stunned when I sidestepped behind Stephanie and started walking right up to him. I think he snapped out of it when I punched the side of his face and he went flying back. That was honestly his fault since he was so unguarded, but then I was left with two other boys that I wasn't used to hitting staring at me—or, more precisely, my chest.

Suddenly I had no problem with hitting them.

Three smoking bodies lay in the water beneath me as I crossed my arms and let out a "hmph". I blushed as I walked away to the deeper water and sunk down so that at the lowest my nose was out of the water. My blush was so intense that the part that was under the water cooled it down so that the other parts felt like it was burning.

Scarlet walked over and looked down at me with her blue eyes. I looked back up innocently, trying to avoid the question that would be more like a demand. I knew what she would ask—if tan with her. Well, I really didn't want to.

"Wanna go swimming?" Oh.

"Yeah," I said excitedly, pulling my chin out of the water for a moment to talk to her. For the first time I looked over my shoulder at the ocean and realized that I was weirdly flat. The sun got the slight swells and little bumps on the water to light up in a way that got me in a ridiculously good mood. As she trudged through the water and I swam through the water I wondered why that could be. I wish I'd just left it at that, but something told me that it didn't just pick up my mood because it was beautiful. But no. I had to choose then to be stupid and start reminiscing on bittersweet memories.

My face fell when I realized. The last time I'd come to the beach and it had been this outrageously flat was when I was thirteen. It wasn't with my mom, but it was with my dad. Back then he was always going on about how much he loved me and my mom more than anything in the world. Then I would ask why he cheated on her all the time and he wouldn't have an answer and would start bawling in the corner or make an awkward exit. At one point though, and I would never have admitted it, I actually believed him. I wanted to believe him. I wanted all my work to have paid off for something. It was one of those ignorant moments when my dad and I were at the beach, just the two of us, and the waves were inexistent as they are now. My dad had let me pick out a bikini for myself, which was pink and plaid and the top was ruffled. It was in a different, private beach that my dad got to access because he was favored by the principal for some reason. Something about a personal choice for a right hand man or something. Apparently mama was the one that helped him get up there in the first place.

_ "Papa, let's go! The water looks so cool!"_

_"Alright, Megan! Megan, Megan, Megan~!" he sings. I wonder why I don't care that he's cooing my name, I usually get annoyed. Sometimes so much that I chop him with my books._

_Huh. I don't care at all. That's weird. I wonder if I finally broke._

_No. Ignore that. Just have fun. That water's beautiful today._

_Papa's still strong enough to throw me in the air. It's more fun than I remembered. I don't remember the last time I smiled this much._

_I think I've finally lost it._

Yeah, looking back I'm not sure why I was so happy. I guess I just wanted to believe it that much, and I was tired of being alone. I knew somewhere that I was going to keep being alone if I didn't reach out to someone, and papa—I mean, my dad was the one that knew my situation the most. Then he kept cheating and I broke apart all over again. He kept reaching out to me, but I realized that if I reached back I'd just get hurt again. They weren't even married anymore, but the fact that he kept doing it proved that he didn't feel guilty in the least. If he really loved me, he'd stop hanging on and pulling me down with him is what I figured. So I stopped and eventually he caught on and stopped, too. I figured it was for the best, but I still felt alone. Still felt like no one needed me. Still cried like I couldn't hear how loud I was crying. Still screamed and plugged my ears to drain out the moaning. Still slept on a park bench to get away from it all. Still wandered around aimlessly. Then Andrew found me on the brink of madness and suicide and… well, you know from there.

"Megan? What's up?"

I realized I'd stopped in my tracks and was looking straight down at the water. I looked up and stared at Scarlet for a second, concern written all across her face.

I turned around and looked at Stephanie chewing out the guys until Andrew caught my eye and looked at me questioningly. Connor saw who he was looking at, and Travis, and Stephanie, until all eyes were on me. I looked at each one of them individually.

Then and there I chose to forget for good. I couldn't let memories keep me from enjoying myself.

I smiled and wiped away some tears before they could fall as I turned back to Scarlet.

"It's nothing. Some fish were nibbling at my feet."

She immediately attached herself to me. "Ewwww, fish! How could you let them eat your feet, that's so gross!" While she was clinging onto me I reached down and picked up a piece of seaweed and dangled it in her face.

She shrieked, climbed off of me, and scrambled back to Stephanie who she then attached herself to.

I couldn't help it. I started laughing. And laughing. And laughing. I tried stopping multiple times, but of course that didn't help. After a while everyone started laughing just as hard as me and I'm pretty sure that no one had any idea why.

This is what I'd been waiting for. Now I had it.

It was better than I'd ever dared to imagine.

* * *

**So I'm going to take down all the Kristina stuff. Don't get the wrong idea and think I'm trying to forget about her, I just don't want to get on fanfiction every time and start thinking about her or have people think I'm just trying to pull a sob story on them and get more reviews or something. I also don't want to think of her and automatically think of how we could have ended on a better foot or about the last time we talked. I'd rather think of what we did and how great we were together vs. apart. For everyone that supported me, thanks, and for the rest of you thanks for following my story and dealing with this crap.**

**For all of you, review.**


	18. Chapter 18: Voluntary

**enjoy the fluff**

* * *

I knew it was a bad idea. I knew doing something like this could turn out very wrong. And for the love of God, I knew I really shouldn't, but I wanted to!

"Scarlet, what pushed you to stop going after Connor?"

Everyone had found their way to Scarlet and Travis' house after they'd invited everyone over Monday night. School had been boring, if not a little repetitive, and I wanted to go home not feeling like I'd wasted a day not enjoying myself, so I snatched up the offer. Unlike Andrew's house, which was comfortable and modern, the twins' house was old fashioned and a little western, like a house you'd find in the country. We were sitting in the lounge room, which was rather small, with chairs made out of wood with a woven pattern. The arms and backs of the chairs were hard, but there was a sewn cushion on the seat of the chair. I sat across from Scarlet, a rectangular wooden coffee table between us.

She just stared at me in response to my question. Obviously, I'd taken her by surprise as well. I'd made sure we were the only people in the room, and I'd finally gotten the question out there, but now it was hanging in the air and getting moldy from the awkward silence sinking into the room.

"I…" Oh, know. I'd surprised her so much that she couldn't talk! What now? I knew I shouldn't have done that!

"Well… the evidence was sort of shoved in my face."

I blinked. "What evidence?"

"That you two liked each other."

My eyebrows rose. "What evidence?" I asked again, scanning through any moments that might have tipped her off about my little crush.

"At the sleepover, you…" She stopped, looking at me as if I should know what she's talking about. She started blushing. "Don't make me say it!"

I looked her over once more. "I have no idea what you're talking about."

"Really?" She was completely surprised. "You don't remember?"

"Well, you're not telling me what happened, so I can't be sure."

"I mean, you were drunk, so I guess it's possible. That would explain why you haven't been acting weird." At this point she was talking more to herself than me.

The blood from my face drained. "What happened?"

"Uh…" She swallowed hard and decided to examine her nails instead of look at me. "It's weird explaining it to you."

"Scarlet, if I did something while I was drunk, I feel like I should know."

"You…" She kept blushing and looking away. "You thought I was asleep, but you guys weren't exactly quiet, and I—"

"Oh, hey Scarlet!" Connor's voice came from behind me, much too cheery to be real. He waltzed over to Scarlet and grabbed her arm before he started dragging her off. "I need to talk to you."

I watched as Scarlet was dragged from my sights and started to panic. What had I done that was so embarrassing she couldn't even tell me about it? Why did Connor want to keep it a secret?

_Oh, God, _I thought, in a panic,_ how much of that conversation had he heard? Did Scarlet mention that I like him? Did I confirm it? I can't remember!_

I put my hand over my erotically beating heart and tried to calm down. _Okay, Megan. Breathe._

Once my thoughts were in the right places again, I knew what I was going to do. _Alright. As much as I may not like the answer, I need to find out what happened in case I need to fix it. _I remembered who the reason for all my worrying was. _And then I need to hit Andrew as hard as I physically can._

Sounded like a good enough plan to me.

I wanted to search the house immediately, but before I could do a thorough search I ran into Travis, quite literally.

"Oh, sorry. Have you seen Scarlet?" He opened his mouth to answer before I cut him off. "Or Connor? Either one. Both would be good."

His eyes told me he was amused. "Sorry, no."

I ran off before backpedaling.

"When I was drunk, did I do anything weird?"

"No, you just passed out." With a nod I started searching.

Okay, so Travis didn't know anything. After asking Stephanie when I passed her in the living room, she didn't know either. I decided to just not ask Andrew.

Despite my determination, I was not a patient person. I got tired of looking real fast, and after looking for ten minutes everywhere that a person might be able to fit into I flopped down onto the couch. I figured that eventually they'd have to come back. Well, Connor wouldn't, but Scarlet would. It was her house. She couldn't avoid it forever.

Unfortunately, she can avoid it until I got to sleep.

That's right. I passed out on the couch. It wasn't even that late. I woke up when it was dark, so I panicked a bit, but a look at the clock told me it was only half past eight. I woke up to Stephanie greeting me with a smile and asking me if I slept well. Black Star was eating all their food when I found him, and Travis was on the computer. I casually ruffled his hair when I went past since I knew it bothered him when it wasn't neat.

A three hour nap. I briefly wondered if I would be tired enough to go to sleep on time. Since I'd only woken up a few minutes before then, I was still partially asleep, and I couldn't tell whether I would be fully awake or half asleep after the napping effects wore off.

Whether I was going to be sleepy or not, when I heard the voices of the people I'd been looking for I was snapped awake. Following the sound, I realized they were in Scarlet's room. I knew Scarlet had said she'd given up on Connor, but something intimate like that _must _be tempting for her. After all, she admitted she liked the guy, and she was really hurt that he didn't like her back. It was obvious when she'd told me what was wrong.

I stopped when I was still out of earshot before I could run in there and interrupt them like I'd been planning on doing. I'd been the one that told her that it wasn't fair to her or Connor to stop going after the one she liked. Who has I to barge in on them? She'd said she knew we liked each other because of some evidence, but I couldn't even remember it. Maybe Connor knew I was drunk and that's why he did it, or maybe I forced him to do something he didn't want to. Who's to say Connor doesn't like Scarlet other than Connor? Who am I to ruin her chances? If Connor liked her, I knew that she wouldn't feel sad like she was.

I turned on my heels after thinking in that same spot for half a minute or so. I sat down on the couch next to Travis, who was arguing with Andrew on what to watch. Travis was arguing that it was his house, and Andrew was arguing that he was more important than Travis so it didn't matter whose house it was. Their voices were just a loud background blur when I shoved my face into the couch pillow.

I felt a hand on my shoulder and looked up. Stephanie.

"What's wrong?"

I wasted no time in answering, and bluntly. "I am conflicted."

She settled down so that she was sitting Indian-style on the floor and our faces were level. "Really? How?"

This time I had a harder time answering her. It was a difficult thing to put into words.

"I feel like…" My face scrunched up in concentration. Travis and Andrew were really distracting, seeing as their arguing was getting louder and louder. "I feel like I'm taking the last parachute for myself."

Stephanie nodded in understanding, even though she had no idea what situation I was in. She was a great person to talk to. I looked over her shoulder to find Scarlet looking at me like she wanted to say something. No doubt she'd heard what I'd said about the parachutes. Ignoring that for the moment, I shot up and grabbed Connor's hand before dragging him around two corners and to the kitchen. I could only hope that Andrew didn't decide he was hungry and interrupt our conversation.

"What did I do that's such a big secret?"

He looked me dead in the eyes. "I can't tell you."

"And why not?"

"Because."

Now I was ticked. "Thank you, I understand everything now."

Apparently this hadn't gotten him in the best of moods, either. "If you don't remember, it doesn't matter. It's like nothing happened. Stop bothering me about it."

I threw up my hands in exasperation. "Great! Now you're mad _because _I don't remember, but _no one will tell me_!"

"I'm not mad."

"Oh, really? Because you're mad expression says otherwise." I didn't pause to let him talk like he wanted. "And it _definitely_ isn't like nothing happened. This is affecting Scarlet, and I want to know what I did. So _tell me _already!"

"I can't tell you!"

"Then for God's sake, do something! Show me!"

"Fine," he growled.

Completely shocked, I stood there stiff as he put his hands on each of my upper arms and kissed me. It felt like he was trying to trap me so that I couldn't run away, even though I was nowhere close to that.

All I could do was stand there. This is what I did? I kissed him? Is that such a surprise?

I realized something as my eyes widened in contrast to his closed ones. If he was kissing me then, voluntarily, not through black mail or with a drunk… did that mean that he had—God forbid—kissed me back?

And then I remembered everything I'd been trying to get out of Scarlet earlier. His body pressed against mine, our hot kisses, his hesitance, me falling asleep at the good part, his disappointed face, the electricity... _everything_.

The realization hit me like a train, loud and sudden.

_Connor likes me._

He pulled away and didn't look me in the eye.

"There. Are you happy now?"

Bits and pieces slowly sunk in until I had a full picture and my hand flew to my mouth in surprise.

_ Oh my _God_, Connor _likes _me!_

"If that's all you wanted, I'm leaving."

"You… I… We…" I couldn't seem to figure out what I was trying to say. Finally I realized that Connor was leaving and grabbed his arm, yanking him back. Digging my hands into the front of his shirt, I kissed him with all I had.

It didn't take long for things to get past the lips. Soon enough we were fighting for dominance and he was pushing me back into the kitchen counter. My hands found their way into his hair and on his arms and around his neck. I was all too aware of where _his _hands were going, like down my back and creeping under my shirt, leaving a hot trail behind them. All too soon I realized we were in another person's _kitchen_ where anyone could walk in on us. Depending on how much noise we'd been making, someone could have heard us for all I knew.

"We're pushing our luck," I told him, suddenly pulling away.

"You're the one who started it," he said, even as he pulled his hands away.

I looked over his shoulder. I think I might've died if I saw Andrew gawking at us. A knock at the door forced me to think quickly.

"You go back. I'll get the door."

I thanked God that the blinds in the kitchen were down so that whoever had walked up to the door couldn't have seen us. The knock had been flimsy, like whoever it was had been having trouble doing so. When I opened the door to find Scarlet and Travis' mom, Ashley Deadbell, juggling bags of groceries, I knew why.

"Hello, Mrs. Deadbell. Where's your husband?" I asked, trying to be polite.

"Oh, he's parking the car, Megan dear. Thank you," she said as I took a few bags from her.

"Hey, mom." I looked to find Travis walking up. Digging through one of the bags, he picked an apple and started eating it.

"Sorry Megan, but you know the rules," Charles Deadbell addressed me as he walked in with what looked like the last of the groceries. "Everyone leaves when the parents get home."

I liked how he was at least straightforward with me. "Yes, sir." Travis and Scarlet's family was very traditional, always having curfew and going by Mr. or Mrs. Deadbell. They also accepted sir and ma'am. "I'll tell everyone else."

When I walked in Andrew, of course, was being exceptionally loud. "Shut up, idiot!" I exclaimed as I hit him on the back of the head. Hard. I realized with some satisfaction that my plan from earlier was complete. "The parents are home."

His eyes widened. "Shit!" Andrew and the Deadbell parents weren't on the best terms, since Andrew always ate their food and broke things or made a lot of noise. Eventually he'd started sneaking out the window when they got home, which was exactly what he was planning as he ran to Travis' room as fast as he could.

I was still embarrassed by my actions that had taken place a minute before and couldn't risk being in a room that wasn't devoid of all other people without the high possibility of embarrassing myself in the package.

"Bye, Travis. Bye, Scarlet." I waved at each of them, one who was sitting on the couch and the other on the floor with Stephanie. "I'm going."

I left before anyone could follow me, and even started running when I rounded the first corner. Kissing Connor and having him kiss me back just filled me with so much energy that I had to use it up _some_how. That was the third time we kissed, fourth if you counted the one Connor gave me first as an individual. My feet hit the pavement even faster as I thought about it more. The day seemed perfect, _especially_ since it was one of those nights where my dad was out drinking till noon the next day. And then I remembered that my birthday was on Tuesday, the same day my mom was coming back, which also happened to be _tomorrow_. Everything was falling into place. I fell asleep a happy person.

* * *

**And that is how I imagine Connor when he's pissed for a reason he knows isn't right.**

**ugh**

**i feel like i could've done it better**

**oh well**


End file.
